Palace gives Filipino peacekeepers assigned in Golan Heights a hero’s welcome

President Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday (Oct. 1) gave the 330 members of the 7th Philippine Contingent to Golan Heights a hero’s welcome in Malacañang Palace, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to them for accomplishing their tour of duty.

“Talagang nakadagdag kayo sa puri at sa dangal ng ating Inang Bayan, kaya naman dapat kayong talagang pasalamatan. At sa ngalan nga ng sambayanan, ako na ho ang nagpapasalamat para sa kanilang lahat,” the President told members of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) who stood their ground during a standoff with Syrian rebels last August.

He recounted that a year-and-a-half ago, 21 Filipino peacekeepers were captured – but eventually released – by Syrian rebels, prompting the government to question the actual mission of the Filipino peacekeepers in the Golan Heights.

He said he requested that the peacekeepers be equipped with high-powered firearms due to the presence of rebels in the area covered by their mission but this was denied.

“Mga two weeks bago nangyari itong standoff, nagkaroon na ho ng desisyon na meron tayong obligasyon sa pandaigdigang komunidad na tapusin na lang natin ang obligasyon nating pinasukan, at pagkatapos noon ay umuwi na,” he said, adding that as commander-in-chief, he did not want to send Filipino troops on a “mission impossible.”

The President said that the government will wait for the conclusion of a UN investigation on the incident before sending peacekeepers on future missions.

“Hinihintay natin ngayon ang imbestigasyon ng UN tungkol sa nangyaring insidente at ito ang magiging basehan kung tayo’y makikisama pa sa ibang mga pangangailangan ng pandaigdigang komunidad,” he said.

He emphasized that he would not send Filipino troops to any situation where their mission is not clear.

“Importante ho ang buhay ng bawat isa,” he said, noting however that it is the country’s obligation to contribute to world peace given the fact that 10 million Filipinos are scattered around the world.

“Pinasiyasat natin lahat ng misyon na pinasukan ng ating bansa, at iisa ang pakay: may risko, tama. Pero ang risko dapat kaalinsunod doon sa pagkakaroon ng misyon na kayang gampanan at hindi nga isang mission impossible,” President Aquino said.

Honoring the peacekeepers, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin called them the “new heroes of our Republic.”

“Ang tapat at taos puso ninyong paglilingkod ay ipinakita ninyo sa inyong kahandaang isakripisyo and inyong buhay kung kinakailangan. Tunay nang maituturing kayong bagong bayani ng ating Republika,” Gazmin said during his welcome remarks.

Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said the President has tasked Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon over the incident.

“We have yet to receive ‘yung report ng kanilang meeting. So, after siguro matanggap namin ito, we have to report this to the President bago namin siguro pwedeng mai-share kung anuman ang naging outcome ng kanilang pagpupulong,” Jose said.

Asked if the decision to hold the sending of peacekeepers to the Golan Heights also applies to other missions, he said, “Wala naman ganoong decision para sa ibang contingents natin.”

The Philippines has contingents in peacekeeping missions in Liberia, Haiti, Ivory Coast, and Kashmir, at the border between India and Pakistan. (PCOO News Release)