Lieutenant Colonel Nolie L Anquillano receives his UN Service Medal from AFP Chief of Staff General Emmanuel T Bautista in an awarding ceremony for the 6th Philippine Contingent to Golan Heights and Liberia, at the GHQ Grandstand. AFP PHOTO
It was an eventful stint marred by two celebrated abductions that mercifully ended well, and Filipino peacekeepers faced the end of that mission with a sigh of relief and a sense of fulfillment.
They have formally reunited with their families and received Wednesday, December 18, their United Nations Service Medal after more than a year of deployment to Golan Heights and Liberia.
AFP Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista welcomed home the peacekeepers and congratulated them for accomplishing their mission despite constant threats to their safety.
The 332-strong 6th Philippine Contingent to Golan Heights, led by Lt. Col. Nolie L. Anquillano, had received worldwide attention after twice being seized by Syrian rebels in March and in May this year 2013.
Despite being released safely on both occasions, questions were raised about the option to pull them out of the zone. In the end, the Philippine government continued the all-Philippine Army contingent’s deployment after the UN agreed to bolster the safety of the UN peacekeeping force.
At Wednesday’s rites at AFP, a posthumous award was also conferred on Sgt Benson Angot who died of malaria on October 22 while on duty in Golan Heights. His wife, Rodalyn Angot, received the award for the fallen soldier.
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 Col. Fidel Igmedio T Cruz Jr.
Both contingents to Golan and Liberia performed peacekeeping duties --manning and patrolling operating foot and mobile patrols day and night, VIP protection, and other administrative roles.
Peacekeepers held hostage twice
In March and in May this year, a total of 25 peacekeepers were captured by Syrian rebels while performing their duties near high-risk conflict areas near Syria.
A group of 21 contingents led by Army Major Dominador Valerio was stopped by Syrian rebels on their way back from a supply run in Al Jamlah village on March 6.
The peacekeepers were later released near the Jordanian border on March 11 after a series of negotiations with officials from the UN Disengagement Force.
Meanwhile on May 7, four peacekeepers led by Cpt Arlis Jardin were taken by Syrian rebels while on reconnaissance and static observation mission. They were released May 12 with the help of Col. Cirilito Sobejana, Chief of Staff of UNDOF and Commander of the Philippine Peacekeeping Force in Golan Heights; Syrian Arab Red Crescent Movement; and UNDOF negotiators.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/77027/filipino-peacekeepers-at-golan-heights-seized-twice-by-syrian-rebels-get-un-service-medals
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