All 115 peacekeepers in Liberia safe, Ebola-free

MANILA, Philippines -  Malacañang assured the people yesterday that all 115 Filipinos serving in the United Nations peacekeeping forces are safe and have not been infected with the deadly Ebola virus plaguing Liberia and other West African countries.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said over government radio dzRB that Filipino peacekeepers are safe from Ebola.

The Department of Health had reported that the contingent from the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the UN peacekeeping force in Liberia has not been infected, even if 13 of 15 provinces in Liberia have cases of infection.

The Filipino peacekeepers’ tour of duty ended in August, according to the AFP.

The government has decided not to send new troops to Liberia or Africa for now in light of the Ebola threat.

This group of Filipino peacekeepers is separate from the 75 troops that were surrounded by Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights on the border of Israel and Syria.

The Filipino troops escaped after a firefight with the rebels.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said he is hopeful that the crisis in the Golan Heights will be resolved as soon as possible.

He said there have been “positive signs” in the negotiations with the rebels for the release of hostages but did not elaborate.

Syrian rebels have disarmed and are holding hostage 43 Fijian peacekeepers belonging to the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

Syrian militants had seized 25 Filipino UN peacekeeper also at the Golan Heights in 2013.

The Syrian rebels released the Filipinos following weeks of negotiations but the incident raised concern among countries deploying peacekeepers to war-torn areas.