Over 300 RP peacekeeping troops to be sent to Liberia, Haiti

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines will be sending 165 peacekeepers to Liberia in West Africa, and 155 others to Haiti as part of its commitment to the United Nations, Military Chief General Alexander Yano said.

Yano saw off the peacekeepers in ceremonies at Camp Aguinaldo on Thursday. It will be the 10th peacekeeping contingent of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to Liberia, and the 8th to Haiti. Each mission lasts for six months.

The Liberia contingent, headed by Lieutenant Colonel Danilo Pamonag, will leave the country on August 1, while the Haiti contingent, led by Colonel Raymundo Elefante, by the second week of August, said Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres Jr., military spokesman.

"Every peacekeeping contingent we send is the realization of our country's strong commitment to the promotion and preservation of international peace, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter," Yano said in a speech.

Yano said the AFP has been sending peacekeepers abroad since the 1950s, during the Korean War.

"And maybe your deployment after Haiti and Liberia will be Central Mindanao so you can apply whatever skills and experiences you learned," Yano said.

Central Mindanao is a hotbed of the Moro insurgency, where a ceasefire is in force while formal peace negotiations are ongoing.

"Be prepared, be safe, and bring honor to the AFP and our country. Make us proud," the military chief said.

(inquirer.net)