Pinoy peacekeepers from Liberia exempted from red alert

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino peacekeepers from Ebola-stricken Liberia will be exempted from the red alert status declared by the military in preparation for Typhoon Ruby.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin asked President Aquino to exempt the 108 military peacekeepers from the alert status during a meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council yesterday.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines has been placed on red alert. May we request that Ebola warriors be exempted from the red alert,” Gazmin said to which the President nodded.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. said the exemption would allow the peacekeepers to take a break and be with their families.

A red alert status places all troops on standby to ensure sufficient manpower in the event of an emergency. The status would have canceled the leaves of the Filipino peacekeepers.

The peacekeepers will be spending the holidays with their loved ones and will be reporting back to the Armed Forces Peacekeeping Operations Center after the New Year.

But before the long holiday break, the 108 military peacekeepers were honored in a heroes’ welcome held yesterday afternoon in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. The event seeks to recognize the contributions of the peacekeepers to global peace. 

“These peacekeepers showed once again the heroism, bravery, and commitment of our soldiers. I am happy for them that they can now formally join their families after their long tour in Liberia and the quarantine period they had in Caballo Island,” Catapang said.

The event coincided with the lighting of the giant Christmas tree of the general headquarters. The heroes’ welcome was capped by a fireworks display that lasted for about 10 minutes.