AFP sends new batch of soldiers to Haiti, Liberia

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will send another batch of 320 soldiers to serve as peacekeepers in the strife-torn countries of Liberia and Haiti.

AFP public information officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said 165 of the soldiers will leave for Liberia tomorrow as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission. Col. Francisco Patrimonio will head the contingent.

Another batch of 155 troops from the Army, Navy and Air Force, headed by Col. Romeo Gan, will leave for Haiti on Jan. 29.

Bacarro said they will replace the same number of soldiers already deployed in Liberia and Haiti, adding that the new batch will serve as part of the UN peacekeeping force for six months.

He said those earlier deployed in the two countries will have to wait until they hand all responsibilities over to the new contingent before they would be sent home.

Bacarro said the new batch underwent rigorous training — including how to easily adapt to the local culture — to enable them to perform their duties as peacekeepers in the conflict-stricken countries.

As a UN member country, the Philippines has an international responsibility to deploy its troops for peacekeeping missions to countries suffering from an ongoing armed conflict, Bacarro said.

He said Filipino soldiers are recognized all over the world for their bravery and their ability to win the hearts and minds of the people in countries where they are deployed.