KA-TAPANG | Now it can be told: PH peacekeepers ignored UN commander's order to yield

From InterAksyon (Sep 1): KA-TAPANG | Now it can be told: PH peacekeepers ignored UN commander's order to yield

What was billed as "the greatest escape" by 40 Filipino peacekeepers who broke through the encirclement of Syrian rebels at the Golan Heights Saturday almost never happened - thanks to an order to "surrender" their firearms, given by an UNDOF commander, which the Filipinos ignored.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang on Monday revealed - and called for an investigation of the matter - the order from the commander of the United Nations Disengagement Force for the Filipino peacekeepers to surrender if attacked by the Syrian rebels. The surrender order for Filipinos was apparently meant to spare the lives of UN Fijian peacekeepers, who earlier surrendered to the Syrians but were taken hostage. They remain missing until now.

However, the UN Filipino peacekeepers’ commanders on Positions 68 and 69 stood their ground and silently invoked their right to defend themselves rather than be taken hostage and remain unaccounted for for an indefinite period.

“The order of the UNDOF commander kept changing. First of all, there's nothing in the terms of reference that says we can be ordered to surrender our firearms. It's because the UNDOF commander wanted to save the Fijians at the expense of the Philippines. It's not our fault that they were taken hostage," Catapang said.  He said he stressed to the UNDOF commander that it made more sense for him to "save first the Filipinos and then we will help the Fijians later."

He did not name the UNDOF commander, who was described as from the Indian military. Military officials later named him as Major General Iqbal Sing Singha.

No apology needed, just a probe

Catapang sees no point in asking the UNDOF commander to apologize for the lapse of judgment. “Hindi naman kailangan mag-sorry dito. Ang kailangan dito imbestigahan siya [There's no need for an apology here. What must be done is investigate him],” he said.

The standoff between Syrian rebels and the Filipino peacekeepers, who were assigned in positions 68 and 69 at the disputed territory at Golan Heights, began Friday, after the rebels captured the Fijian position and took them hostage. The rebels then sent an English-speaking Fijian to the Filipino troops’ position, telling them to also surrender their firearms and munitions.

“Then the next move is to capture them (Filipino soldiers) and make them hostage. So [that would only compound the problem of the] UNDOF commander. We do not surrender our firearms. A deadlock happened because the Al Nusra [rebel front, linked to Al-Qaeda] said the guns are symbolic to them, that's why they want them. But said, to us Filipinos it’s not only symbolic; it is our honor that is at stake."

Catapang recalled telling the Philippine battalion commander to tell the UNDOF commander that if he wants, he can donate the guns of the Fijians, who comprise the biggest force. They still had 400 peacekeepers left.

Catapang explained that there are rules of engagement and “Our national policy can prevail.” He explained that the policy is to save the lives of the Filipino soldiers.

“There is no agreement yet. It still has to be sorted out, if we were right or if we were wrong, but I think we are right because we are all safe now,” he said, as a postscript to  the decision of the Philippine ground commanders not to raise the white flag to the Syrian rebels, and how this can possibly affect the country’s relations with the UN.

Catapang said “it (decision not to surrender) can affect [the Philippines' prime standing as one of the best contributors to the UN peacekeeping force globally], but they have to understand that the safety of our soldiers is of primordial importance; it prevails over and above the Fijian situation,” he added.

The Philippines' position, as conveyed to the ground commanders at Golan, had been crunched by top officials of the defense and military establishment, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, who comprised a “Battle Staff” since Day 1.  They were in direct contact, through teleconference, with the ground commanders of the besieged forces.

Escape plan hatched by soldiers on ground

Catapang denied, however, directly giving orders to the ground troops on what to do. ’The escape plan is the decision of our troops there. We supported their decision,” he said.

AFP Peace-keeping Operations Center commander Col. Roberto Ancan said the situation called for a decisive response from the ground commanders. This included, he added, their decision not to follow the surrender order given by the UNDOF commander.

Ancan said the Philippines, as a troop-contributing country, is well within its right to let its national interest prevail in the situation. "So, we can do that (disobey the surrender order) because as a member state we are just only loaned  by the UNDOF and with that we can take orders from our national government, from the capital,” he said.

Ancan said the Philippine government cannot subordinate the lives of its soldiers to the decision of the UNDOF commander.

The firearms that the Filipino soldiers were being told to turn over to the Syrian rebels are "our issued firearms . . . part of our uniform," and as peacekeepers, he added, the soldiers were "duty-bound to defend [themselves] and [their] facilities in that order. If I am the commander I will ensure the safety and security of my troops. That is paramount to a commander,” he explained.

On the second day of the standoff, Ancan had declared that the Filipino soldiers at Golan were "well-trained, well-armed, well-disciplined" and were authorized to use "deadly force" if necessary to defend themselves and the UN facility.

Ancan admitted that at first the Filipino ground commanders simply relayed to them the decision of the UNDOF commander to just surrender their firearms.

Surrender did not ensure they'll be spared

Ancan pointed out, however, that if the soldiers turned in their guns, “you don’t know what will happen to you next. Can you go after that? There’s no assurance. So you have to defend yourself because in the rules of engagement, you can use deadly force if that is to defend yourself and the UN facilities.”

The Filipino soldiers trapped in the two positions actually numbered more than 70, but 32 were able to move to safer ground with help from the Irish contingent who provided cover.

The 40 engaged the rebels in an hours-long firefight, before making the mad dash to safety past midnight Saturday.

Ancan said the PKOC will recommend an investigation of the UNDOF official.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/94486/ka-tapang--now-it-can-be-told-ph-peacekeepers-ignored-un-commanders-order-to-yield