Philippines to send more UN peacekeepers to Haiti

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Navy will send off another batch of peacekeeping forces to support the United Nations mission in Haiti in a simple ceremony at the Villamor Air Base on Friday, officials said.

Composed of 12 Navy officers and 143 enlisted personnel, the new team of peacekeepers will replace the previous contingent in a “handover” procedure at the Haiti Airport on Saturday. The 14th contingent will return to the Philippines on Sunday.

The 14th and 15th contingents are the only two all-Navy contingents deployed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines peacekeeping force to United Nations missions, the Navy said in a statement.

“They are tasked to provide perimeter security to the Force Headquarters of the UN Mission to Haiti, provide administrative and logistics clerical services to the Force Headquarters, operate their military vehicles, and provide VIP security to specified personalities by the Force Headquarters,” it added.

The peacekeeping forces are expected to serve their tour in the Caribbean country for six to nine months and will be replaced by another all-Navy contingent upon their return.

On March 9, the contingent commander, Colonel Arthur M. Biyo paid an exit call on the Navy commander, Vice Adm. Alexander Pama.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti has been in operation since 2004 aimed at providing stability, promoting peace and order, and restoring and maintaining the rule of law. The peacekeepers also helped distribute humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake that left scores dead.