AFP sends peacekeepers to Haiti, Liberia

The government is deploying a battalion of soldiers to perform peacekeeping duties in the strife-torn countries of Liberia in Africa and Haiti in the Caribbean.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) information office chief Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual said the troop deployment is in line with the continuing commitment of the government to the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations worldwide.

"The AFP will send another batch of soldiers to be deployed for peacekeeping missions to Haiti and Liberia," Pascual said.

The military contingent heading for Liberia is composed of 145 officers and personnel, while another 115 soldiers will be deployed to Haiti.

Pascual said that these soldiers would replace their home-bound colleagues, who have already completed their tours of duty in the two conflict-torn nations.

The Haiti contingent is headed by Lt. Col. Nestor Merginio, while Col. Emmanuel Ochotorena leads the contingent that will be deployed to Liberia.

Merginio and Ochotorena will be taking over command of Filipino troops in their areas of deployment from Col. Daniel Lucero and Col. Delfin Pomposo, respectively.

It will be recalled that a Filipino soldier was killed several months ago by sniper fire in Haiti while driving for an American military officer who was supervising an UN-sanctioned waterworks project.

Another Filipino soldier survived a sniper attack in Haiti after his bulletproof vest and Kevlar helmet took the impact of the bullets fired at him.

The Filipino soldiers bound for Haiti and Liberia were accorded simple sendoff rites yesterday afternoon at the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. — Jaime Laude