Captured twice, Filipino peacekeepers receive UN Service Medal

MANILA, Philippines - The sixth Philippine contingent to Golan Heights was honored with the United Nations Service Medal formally conferred by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday.

AFP chief-of-staff General Emmanuel Bautista congratulated the 332 peacekeepers, several of whom were before seized by Syrian rebels, for completing their mission despite serious threats in the area.

The troops spent an entire year in Syria and made headlines twice this year for incidents with the rebels, triggering calls to the Philippine government to pull out the men from high-risk conflict areas.

Related: 21 Pinoys in UN team held hostage by Syrian rebels

While the rebels released the peacekeepers safely on both occasions, the UN assured the Philippines that improvements on the safety of the peacekeepers.

The AFP, meanwhile, recently deployed another batch of 332 soldiers forming the seventh Philippine contingent in Golan Heights.