Memorials and a museum dedicated to the 44 Special Action Force members killed in the 2015 Mamasapano clash exist, as confirmed by a fact-check. A viral Facebook post claimed no such museum honors them while criminals have one. These sites across the Philippines pay tribute to their sacrifice.
A December 12 post on the Facebook page 'Cent SB' claimed there is no museum for the SAF 44, but addicts, rapists, and criminals have one. The post garnered over 19,000 reactions, 1,800 comments, and 5,900 shares. However, this claim is false.
The fact-check confirms the existence of the Special Action Force Museum, SAF 44 Memorial, and Black Beret Monument at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig. This directly counters the claim as it is a museum. Additional sites include the SAF 44 Forest Park at the National Police College campus in Camp Gen Mariano N. Castañeda, Silang, Cavite; the SAF 44 memorial at Ifugao Park, The Manor, Camp John Hay in Baguio City; and a monument at Lepanto National High School in Mankayan, Benguet, honoring three of its graduates who were among the SAF 44.
These honors stem from the January 25, 2015, clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, where Oplan Exodus—a mission to capture high-value bomb makers—escalated into a fierce firefight with armed groups. The post likely refers to the Lakbay Museo ng Paghilom, a mobile museum on victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war, launched on December 9 at the House of Representatives and open until December 11. Attendees included Representatives Chel Diokno and Jude Acidre. Currently, Duterte is detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of murder as a crime against humanity.
These memorials continue to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of the SAF troopers, while the fact-check addresses disinformation on the drug war and ICC.
