Pinoy peacekeeper hit by sniper fire in Haiti

A Filipino peacekeeper was hit by sniper fire in Haiti on Thursday in the first attack since the Philippines deployed troops there to help restore order in the troubled Caribbean country, the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

Permanent Representative to the United Nations Lauro Baja Jr. said Marine S/Sgt. Rodrigo Galam was on guard duty outside the Christopher Hotel when he was struck by two caliber .30 bullets fired by an unknown assailant at around 5 a.m.

The hotel, in the capital city of Port au Prince, is the future headquarters of the Mission des Nations Unies pour la Stabilisation en Haiti (MINUSTAH), or the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

Miraculously, Galam escaped injury, apparently because his helmet and flak vest absorbed the bullets.

Baja said the attack was the first on Filipino peacekeepers since they were deployed last December.

Despite the attack, the government reiterated its commitment to the UN efforts to return democracy and stability to Haiti.

"The attack highlights the danger Filipino peacekeepers face in Haiti but this will not in any way alter our resolve to help bring peace and stability to that country," he said.

The attack was confirmed during a meeting of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Philippine contingent in Haiti.

Baja described Galam, who reported back for duty after the incident, as "one lucky guy."

"It would have been a completely different story had he not been equipped with a Kevlar helmet and an armored vest," he said.

The shooting appears to be part of an upsurge in violent attacks against UN peacekeepers, said Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero, commander of the Philippine contingent.

The peacekeepers have recently become less tolerant of armed gangs and former soldiers, whose activities have been threatening the security of Haiti.

Four Asian peacekeepers – two Sri Lankans and two Nepalese – have been killed in the past two weeks since the UN stepped up efforts to disarm the armed gangs in preparation for local and national elections scheduled before the end of the year.

Lucero also told Baja that the UN peacekeepers are now equipped with small firearms while on patrol in and around the capital.

Aside from the 135 troops assigned to the Force Headquarters Support Company, the Philippines also has 10 civilian police officers in Haiti.

A member of the Security Council, the Philippines is the 11th biggest troop contributor among the 41 countries taking part in the 7,500-strong peacekeeping operation.

The Philippines was among the countries that called for international intervention after an uprising in Haiti led to the overthrow of President Jean Bertrand Aristide in February 2004. It also played a crucial role in the deployment of the peacekeepers. – With AFP