DND amenable to redeployment of PHL contingents in Golan Heights, Liberia should situation stabilizes

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 24): DND amenable to redeployment of PHL contingents in Golan Heights, Liberia should situation stabilizes
 
Should the situation stabilize for the better at the Golan Heights and Liberia, the Department of National Defense (DND) is amenable to the deployment of Filipino troops for peacekeeping purposes there.

This was stressed by DND spokesperson Dr. Peter Paul Reuben Galvez on Sunday.

"We are committed to our peacekeeping commitment (to the United Nations) but if the threat level is going beyond certain level, the Philippines can disengage," he added.

Galvez said that the Philippines cannot be faulted for repatriating its troops, especially in the Golan Heights, as Japan, Croatia, and Austria, pulled their forces there in 2013 when the threat level went up.

"When shooting started in Syria, we told the United Nations we can stay there as long our troops are given adequate force protection equipment like bullet-proofed vests and armored personnel carriers to ensure their protection. However, the situation there now is that our forces there are getting frequently caught in the crossfires and sometimes, our vehicles are being hit by shrapnel from shells fired by the combatants. The situation is getting more volatile to the point that our soldiers could get killed there, and we can tell the UN that the situation is now beyond our threat level," the DND spokesperson stressed.

The Filipino contingents in Golan Heights and Liberia are scheduled to be pulled out before the end of the year.

"Amidst the volatile security environment in the Middle East and North African region, the Philippines prioritizes the safety and security of its troops, but remains committed to the peacekeeping missions of the United Nations," the DND said earlier.

The 331-strong Filipino contingent serving as part of the United Nations Disengagement Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights is scheduled to be repatriated at the end of their tour of duty in October.

Galvez said it is important to note that the Philippines sustained its contingent in UNDOF amidst the withdrawal of other troop-contributing countries as the conflict in Syria intensified in 2013.

"Meanwhile, in light of the rising health risk posed by the outbreak of Ebola virus in Africa, the Filipino troops deployed to the UN Mission in Liberia will also be repatriated as soon as possible," he said.

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