Filipino peacekeepers get United Nations Service Medal

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) formally awarded the United Nations Service Medal to the 332-strong 6th Philippine Contingent to Golan Heights Wednesday.

The latter were warmly congratulated and feted by AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista for accomplishing their mission despite constant threats on their safety.

The 6th Philippine Contingent to Golan Heights was headed by Lt. Col. Nolie L. Anquillano.

The Filipino troopers completed their one-year deployment despite receiving worldwide attention with two incidents of being held in captivity by Syrian rebels in March and in May this year.

Despite being released safely on both occasions, questions on their immediate pull-out were raised.

The Philippine government continued the all-Philippine Army contingent’s deployment after the UN agreed to bolster the safety of the UN peacekeeping force.

Meanwhile, the 115-strong 17th Philippine Contingent to Liberia (PCL), which was deployed in July last year, completed their mission of assisting in the maintenance of law and order in the country following a ceasefire that ended the Second Liberian Civil War.

The all-Philippine Air Force contingent was led by its contingent commander, Col. Fidel Igmedio T. Cruz Jr.

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Soldiers Run Against Torture

CAMP GENERAL EMILIO AGUINALDO, Quezon City – To commemorate the 2012 United Nations’ “International Day in Support of Torture Victims”, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in partnership with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the United Against Torture Coalition (UATC) will participate in, and host the culminating program of the Advocacy Run, “Basta Run Against Torture”, tomorrow at the General Headquarters (GHQ) Grandstand.

Two hundred runners from the three Major Services (Army, Air Force, Navy), GHQ and Headquarters Support Command, and AFP Wide Support Service Units will join tomorrow’s advocacy run.

The CHR jointly spearheads the activity with the UATC. Among the prominent Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in this partnership are the Task Forces Detainees; Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates; Amnesty International-Philippines; and Balay Rehabilitation Center. The AFP through the AFP Human Rights Office (HRO) has been engaging said organizations in its public affairs efforts on matters related to Human Rights – International Humanitarian Law – Rule of Law (HR-IHL-ROL).

The International Day in Support of Torture Victims is an annual activity reaffirming a common resolve among stakeholders in combating torture, taking a collective practical step towards ending this crime (with reference to RA 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009), and raising the awareness and commitment in resolving this form of ill-treatment.

The AFP, along with the different human rights groups and organizations will assemble 6:00 AM tomorrow at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Building. From there, they will sprint along the south bound lane of EDSA Avenue until they reach the end point at the GHQ, AFP Grandstand where a simple program will follow. The Chairman of the CHR, Loretta Ann P. Rosales will be tomorrow’s guest of honor and speaker as she will deliver her inspirational/solidarity message.

Last year, the CHR and UATC lauded the AFP for actively participating in the 2011 advocacy run, and for clearly manifesting the military’s keen desire and efforts to put an end to acts of torture in partnership with them. UATC also praised the AFP as it played an active role in the former’s efforts to manifest the armed forces’ undertakings to curb and/or eradicate torture in line with the Strategic Approaches and Imperatives of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.

This year’s activity is more pronounced with the recent signing by the Philippines of the Optional Protocol on the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) on April 2012. The OPCAT is a set of rules to which the signatories agree to reaffirm that torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment are prohibited and constitute serious violations of human rights.

In the spirit of tomorrow’s celebration, the AFP vows to continue its constant participation in various HR-IHL-ROL advocacies and activities along with the different government agencies, NGOs and CSOs. This is line with AFP’s campaign for the protection and promotion of Human Rights.

In line with this, the AFPHRO is also very active in teaching AFP personnel assigned in garrisons and in the field about local laws such as the R.A. 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity; R.A. 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009;  R.A. 7438 or the act defining the rights of arrested, detained or persons under custody as well as the duties of the arresting, detaining and investigating officers; and Rule 113 under the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Consistent with the whole-of-nation and multi-stakeholder principles of the IPSP Bayanihan, the AFPHRO has been closely coordinating with other government agencies, human rights advocacy groups and Local Government Units (LGUs) to spread the military's advocacy on Human Rights.

“We are one with all other government agencies and human rights advocacy groups and organizations in commemorating the International Day in Support of Torture Victims. It has been one of the AFP’s commitments to eagerly participate in these kinds of undertaking as it further promotes the protection and upholding of the Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law, and the Rule of law,” AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Jessie D. Dellosa said.

“For our part, the AFP will continue to strengthen our Human Rights and IHL advocacies. 

We will also continue to strengthen our Human Rights Office which has been replicated in all levels of commands in order to address human rights issues and concerns as we intend to foster a culture of human rights within our ranks,” Dellosa added.

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PAO | Armed Forces of the Philippines | June 25, 2012 | Article Link

22 Filipino peacekeepers gave their lives to world peace

MANILA -- Since the Philippines started sending peacekeepers to United Nations missions in 1963, twenty-two Filipinos have given their lives to the cause of world peace. And on International UN Peacekeepers Day, the country paid tribute to those who have died and those who continue to risk life and limb in war-torn places around the world.

At the celebration in the Department of Foreign Affairs Wednesday, Secretary Albert del Rosario particularly remembered two Filipino peacekeepers who were among 112 men and women who “died in the line of duty last year as a result of acts of violence, accidents, and disease.”

They are Joseph Ubaldo of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and Charles Uy of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

At a wreath-laying ceremony at UN headquarters in New York, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: “Today we honor the 112 fallen heroes who died while serving under the United Nations flag in 2011.”

“They may be soldiers, police or national staff. But there are no differences among them in terms of the risks they faced, the contributions they made, and the pride they took in their service to the United Nations,” the UN chief said.

 

“The difference between an ordinary person and a hero is that the hero voluntarily braves danger to save others,” he added.

Filipina peacekeepers in Arab Spring

Among the most notable Philippine contingents was that led by Army Col. Cornelio Valencia Jr. Together with the UN Disengagement Observers’ Force (UNDOF), his team of 49 officers and 278 enlisted personnel, mostly drawn from the 76^th Infantry Battalion in Southern Quezon, faced the Arab Spring protesters. Significantly, this contingent to the male-dominant region had the most number of women. Of the 28 Filipino women peacekeepers, six were officers.

At present, the Philippines has 922 military and police personnel serving as military observers, staff officers, police officers and members of formed contingents in Cote d’Ivoire, Darfur, the Golan Heights, Haiti, Kashmir, Liberia, South Sudan and Timor-Leste, the DFA said.

Other than the contingents to Liberia, Golan Heights, and Haiti, the AFP is also sending observers to the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), and UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast.

“The UN Peacekeepers Day marks a very significant event as the AFP pays homage to the efforts exerted by our peacekeepers who continue to propagate peace in foreign lands. Let this remind us of our commitment to the United Nations leadership as our peace initiatives are not only limited here in the Philippines, but also to the rest of the world,” AFP chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa said.

The Philippines first took part in UN peacekeeping operations in 1963 after President Diosdado Macapagal approved the deployment of 9^th Tactical Air Force Squadron to support UN operations in the Congo. Filipino peacekeepers have since then served with the UN in Cambodia, Iraq, Haiti, Afghanistan, Burundi, Kosovo, Georgia, and Nepal.

UN awards

At Wednesday’s ceremonies, del Rosario presented the Gawad Diosdado Macapagal to former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo in recognition of his role in enlarging Philippine participation in UN operations during his stint as chair of the Interagency Council on UN Peace Operations.

Aside from Secretary Romulo, the other recipients of the award were Ambassador Hilario G. Davide, Jr., who was recognized for helping expand the Philippines’ participation in UN peace operations during his term as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York; Army Gen. Jaime de los Santos, former force commander of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor, for being the first Filipino to head a UN peacekeeping force; and Police Director Rodolfo Tor, former UN Police Commissioner in Timor-Leste, for being the first Filipino police officer to serve in such a high-ranking position.

Del Rosario also handed the Gawad Diosdado Macapagal to Brig. Gen. Tesero Isleta, AFP (Ret.), who represented the officers and men of the Philippine Air Force’s 9th Tactical Squadron.

Awards were also presented to the family of Staff Sgt. Antonio Batomalaque in recognition of his heroism after becoming the first Filipino to be killed in action while serving in Haiti in 2005 and to the officers and men of the 9^thTactical Fighter Squadron of the Philippine Air Force who were the first peacekeepers to be deployed overseas in 1963. The unit was represented by Brig. Gen. Tereso Isleta.  

Global peacekeepers

According to the UN chief, there are 120,000 peacekeepers serving in 17 missions around the world. “So far this year, another 31 peacekeepers have died,” he said.

The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, said peacekeepers help to protect millions of vulnerable civilian from violence. “This is not easy work. We go in order to give hope to people who have been through the horror of war, and who yearn for a chance to rebuild their lives in peace,” the peacekeeping chief said. 

Currently, UN peacekeeping operations receive contributions of military and police personnel from 116 Member States. In addition to the partnerships with individual nations, UN peacekeeping works closely with UN agencies, funds and programmes working on the ground, as well as with regional organizations, such as the African Union. 

The International Day is being marked with events at various peacekeeping missions, including parades and cultural programmes in the Darfur region of Sudan and in Liberia, as well as ceremonies in South Sudan and Lebanon. 

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Abigail Kwok | InterAksyon.com| May 31, 2012 | Article Link

UN bestows medals to Philippine contingent for peace efforts in Golan Heights

MANILA, Philippines – After three months of deployment in the Golan Heights under the auspices of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), members of the 5th Philippine contingent were awarded UN medals on May 17 in recognition of their valuable service in the name of peace and security in the region.

The awarding of medals to contingents in the Golan Heights is symbolic and a token of appreciation given by the United Nations to the military personnel for their contribution to the maintenance of peace and security in the Golan Heights.

The Philippine contingent is part of the peacekeeping force composed of troops from Austria, Canada, Croatia, India and Japan who have been tasked by the UN Security Council to maintain the ceasefire and supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces in the so-called Areas of Separation and Limitation between the two parties.

Together with his staff officers, Lt. Col. Ramon Estella, commanding officer of the Philippine battalion, led his troops during the medal parade and the pinning of the UN medals.

Philippine Ambassador to Israel Generoso D.G. Calonge and Maj. Gen. Natalio C. Ecarma III, Head of Mission and Force Commander of UNDOF, attended the ceremony as special guests.

The respective contingent commanders of the contributing states to UNDOF, liaison officers of the Israel Defense Force (IDF), and members of the Filipino community in Israel were also present during the parade.

Lt. Col. Estella, in his speech, congratulated the recipients of the UN medal and told them that it serves as their inspiration to work even harder to perform their responsibilities.

He rallied his men to continue displaying world class professionalism at all times. He and his men assumed command in February 2012 and they are expected to finish their tour of duty by August 2012.

For his part, Ambassador Calonge said the peacekeeper's assignment is a rare duty and distinct privilege accorded to a unique few who have the ability to withstand the rigors and responsibilities of an international peacekeeping mission.

The ambassador reiterated that it is the pride and honor of the Philippines to join UN peacekeeping operations as it bolsters the country’s prestige in the international community.

“Your presence here is a testament of our commitment to the UN as one of the founding nations of this international organization,” Ambassador Calonge said.

“Always remember that you stand on the foundation built by the previous contingents, and that as you fulfill your duties and responsibilities in UNDOF, you also build upon that foundation for other forthcoming Philippine contingents,” the ambassador added.

Maj. Gen. Ecarma, the first Filipino general in UNDOF, reminded the contingent that it is incumbent upon them to protect the image of the Philippines in the host countries and that they represent no less than the entire Filipino nation.

He congratulated the men and women of the Philippine contingent who have received the distinguished UN medal awards and noted that this is a form of appreciation by the United Nations for their selfless act and courage to maintain stability in the area. He encouraged the battalion to keep up the good work and to fully support the UN’s mandate.

The deployment of Philippine troops in the Golan, especially amidst the 2011 Arab Spring, is a challenge and a test to their courage and endurance. The troops have maintained the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in the performance of their responsibility in their areas of operation.

The Philippines is not new in peacekeeping operations. Despite limited resources, the Philippines steadfastly maintains its commitment to the UN as one of its founding members.

Since the 1950s, the country has sent peacekeeping troops, particularly to Korea, Congo, Afghanistan, Burundi, Cambodia, Cote d’ Ivoire, Darfur, Georgia, Haiti, Iraq, Liberia, Kashmir, Kosovo, Nepal, Sudan and Timor Leste.

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Eric B. Apolonio | InterAksyon.com | May 19, 2012 | Article Link

Pinoy peacekeepers off to Haiti

THE Philippine Navy will send off today a team composed of 12 officers and 143 enlisted personnel as the country’s contingent to the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Force to Haiti.

The Navy team will replace the 14th Navy contingent in Haiti following a handover procedure at the Haiti Airport on Saturday.

The 14th contingent will arrive in the Philippines on the following day.

The group is expected to provide perimeter security to the Force Headquarters of the UN Mission to Haiti, provide administrative and logistics and clerical services to the Force Headquarters, operate their military vehicles and provide VIP security to specified personalities by the Force Headquarters.

“They are expected to serve their tour in Haiti for six to nine months and will be replaced by another all Navy contingent from the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] Peacekeeping Force to the UN,” the agency said.

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 Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz | The Manila Times | March 16, 2012 | Article Link

AFP Honors 4th PHL Contingent to Golan Heights

Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City—The Armed Forces of the Philippines received the 333-strong Philippine Contingent to Golan Heights after nine months of deployment in the contested territory. This is in line with the AFP’s commitment to the United Nations’ peacekeeping efforts to maintain international peace and stability in the area.

The 4th contingent, which was the first ever to be sent with an entire battalion as its core, was given their United Nations Service Medals for the accomplishment of their mission. The welcome and awarding ceremony was held today at the Canopy Area of the General Headquarters.

In a statement, the 4th contingent, led by 76th Infantry Battalion Commanding Officer, Col. Cornelio H. Valencia, said that their deployment coincided with the Arab Spring that affected the United Nations Disengagement Force’s (UNDOF) Area of Limitation and Area of Separation due to a series of protests.

Protests on events like Nakba Day, which means “Day of the Catastrophe,” and ironically is the Arab commemoration of the creation of Israel; and Naksa Day that means “Day of the Setback,” which is the Arab commemoration of the Six Days War, also prompted the contingent to adopt an enhanced patrolling system and clear critical areas from landmine threats.

The AFP has been sending contingents to Golan Heights since November 2009 as part of the UNDOF, replacing Poland in forming the more than 1,000 peacekeeping units of the United Nations.

The 4th Contingent to Golan Heights was composed of 49 officers and 278 enlisted personnel. 30 are women including some officers. There are also a total of eight soldiers who were part of the 3rd Contingent who had extended deployments.

In May last year, the AFP sent the 4th CGH with a whole battalion that forms the core of the contingent. The AFP sent the 76th Infantry Battalion that cleared the Southern part of Quezon of New People’s Army Guerilla Front 42, which was supplemented with additional officers and personnel to comply with the UN Troop Organization and Equipment requirements.

AFP Chief of Staff LtGen Jessie D Dellosa congratulated the contingent for its successful deployment and unceasing commitment to promote peace. “The entire military organization is proud of its soldiers who willingly extend the scope of their service in order to help those who need to maintain peace and security abroad,” said LtGen Dellosa.

“With their dedication to their engagement in very dangerous situations in Golan Heights, our troops still managed to give exemplary contribution to peace, order and security in the area,” LtGen Dellosa added.

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Created on Thursday, 01 March 2012 13:51

Published on Thursday, 01 March 2012 13:51

Written by PAO, AFP

Armed Forces of the Philippines

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