MANILA, Sept. 4 (PNA) — Malacanang on Thursday said Filipino peacekeepers will complete their tour of duty in the Golan Heights until next month.
“We want to complete our tour of duty and wind down our UN (United Nations) commitment in the proper way,” said Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in a Palace press briefing.
Coloma stressed this even after United Nations (UN) peacekeeping chief denied allegations that he ordered Philippine peacekeepers to surrender weapons to Syrian rebels.
“Well, kung maalala natin, bago pa sumiklab ‘yung insidente ‘nung nakaraang linggo ay naihayag na ‘yung pasya na tatapusin na lamang ‘yung current tour of duty at ‘yon ang desisyon. Hindi naman ito naapektuhan ‘nung mga kaganapan noong nakaraang lingo,” he said.
President Benigno S. Aquino III has sought a full report on the Golan Heights incident last week that would serve as the basis for future deployments of Filipino peacekeepers.
“Kaya nga hiningi ng Pangulo ‘yung kanilang ulat. Wala naman tayong kinokontra na sinabi nila. Siyempre, pinaninindigan natin ang katapangan at kahusayan ng ating mga tropa diyan. Pero importante din na tingnan ‘yung kabuuang sitwasyon, lalung-lalo na at tinatapos na ‘yung ating commitment,” Coloma said.
He further said that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is coordinating with the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and is in close consultation with the UN on this matter.
“After all, the deployment of Filipino peacekeepers is a UN matter and that is a matter of international diplomacy for which the DFA is responsible,” he said. (PNA)