Another batch of peacekeeping soldiers off to Haiti and Liberia

By Ronron
June 24, 2005

Three hundred Filipino soldiers are off to Haiti and Liberia in batches beginning Sunday to replace the Philippine contingents there on a peacekeeping mission.

Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Information Officer, said the new batch of Philippine contingent to Haiti will consist of 145 AFP personnel while those for Liberia will be 155 soldiers.

Though the first batch is yet to leave tomorrow (Sunday, June 26), a send-off ceremony for all 300 soldiers was already held yesterday (Friday) afternoon at the AFP General Headquarters flagpole in Camp Aguinaldo during the flag retreat.

The deployment is set to be completed on July 10 when the remaining troops from Haiti is expected to have arrived in the country already.

Pascual said the new contingent to Haiti will be headed by Lt. Col. Nestor Merginio while those for Liberia will be led by Col. Emmanuel Ochotorena.

The Philippine contingents at present in Haiti and Liberia were sent in November last year. Col. Daniel Lucero heads the team in Haiti while Col. Delfin Pomposo, in Liberia.

Last April 14, a member of the Philippine contingent in Haiti was killed when gang members attacked a group of United Nations peacekeepers who were conducting security operations in the capital of Haiti.

Army Staff Sergeant Antonio Batomalaque, 22, was the first Filipino peacekeeper killed in action while serving in a United Nations peacekeeping mission. He died of a bullet wound in the head.#