Hero’s welcome mulled for Pinoy peacekeepers from Golan Heights after ‘greatest escape’
The Philippine military is considering giving the Filipino peacekeepers from Golan Heights the hero's welcome when they returned from their tour of duty in October.
“Hopefully, when you return [to the Philippines], we’ll give you a hero’s welcome to celebrate the greatest escape in Golan Heights,” Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang told Capt. Nilo Ramones, head of the Philippine peacekeeping team at Position 68, in a video conference via Skype on Monday.
Ramones and his team on Sunday (Philippine time) pulled what Catapang had described as the “greatest escape” from the hands of Syrian rebels, who were holding several Fijian peacekeepers captive, in Golan Heights following several days of tense standoff.
During their conversation, Catapang congratulated Ramones and his troops for showing “the world and the Filipino people that you can hold on to your sworn duties to maintain the peace in the Golan Heights and pursue your UN (United Nations) mandate of peace amidst adversaries.”
Catapang and Ramones even exchanged jokes during the conversation.
“I am going to send beer through LBC,” Catapang said in jest.
Ramones also narrated to Catapang and other military officers and media men present during the video conference their daring nighttime escape.
He said they waited until the rebels were asleep before they executed their plan, which he said was hatched only hours earlier.
“They rebels were deeply asleep around the area. That was the time when we got out. They planted landmines but we know where they were placed,” Ramones said.
Ramones said they walked non-stop for one hour and 30 minutes until they were reunited with their companions.
The Philippines has 331 troops serving in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). They are set to be pulled out after their tour of duty in October.
Israel captured Golan Heights from Syria in a 1967 war, and the countries technically remain at war. Syrian troops are not allowed in an area of separation under a 1973 ceasefire formalized in 1974.
UNDOF monitors the area of separation, a narrow strip of land running 70 km from Mount Hermon on the Lebanese border to the Yarmouk River frontier with Jordan. There are 1,223 UNDOF peacekeepers from six countries. —KBK, GMA News
“Hopefully, when you return [to the Philippines], we’ll give you a hero’s welcome to celebrate the greatest escape in Golan Heights,” Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang told Capt. Nilo Ramones, head of the Philippine peacekeeping team at Position 68, in a video conference via Skype on Monday.
Ramones and his team on Sunday (Philippine time) pulled what Catapang had described as the “greatest escape” from the hands of Syrian rebels, who were holding several Fijian peacekeepers captive, in Golan Heights following several days of tense standoff.
During their conversation, Catapang congratulated Ramones and his troops for showing “the world and the Filipino people that you can hold on to your sworn duties to maintain the peace in the Golan Heights and pursue your UN (United Nations) mandate of peace amidst adversaries.”
Catapang and Ramones even exchanged jokes during the conversation.
“I am going to send beer through LBC,” Catapang said in jest.
Ramones also narrated to Catapang and other military officers and media men present during the video conference their daring nighttime escape.
He said they waited until the rebels were asleep before they executed their plan, which he said was hatched only hours earlier.
“They rebels were deeply asleep around the area. That was the time when we got out. They planted landmines but we know where they were placed,” Ramones said.
Ramones said they walked non-stop for one hour and 30 minutes until they were reunited with their companions.
The Philippines has 331 troops serving in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). They are set to be pulled out after their tour of duty in October.
Israel captured Golan Heights from Syria in a 1967 war, and the countries technically remain at war. Syrian troops are not allowed in an area of separation under a 1973 ceasefire formalized in 1974.
UNDOF monitors the area of separation, a narrow strip of land running 70 km from Mount Hermon on the Lebanese border to the Yarmouk River frontier with Jordan. There are 1,223 UNDOF peacekeepers from six countries. —KBK, GMA News
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