Body of RP peacekeeper in Haiti recovered

The body of a Filipino United Nations peacekeeper was retrieved from the rubble of the collapsed Christopher Hotel, bringing to two the number of Philippine fatalities following the deadly earthquake that rocked the impoverished Caribbean island nation of Haiti.

At a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo, military information chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the body of Petty Officer 3 Pearly Panangui was pulled out at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday from the second floor of the hotel, which houses the United Nations Peacekeeping headquarters in Haiti.

In a prepared prayer, Brawner, on behalf of the Philippine military, paid tribute to Panangui and to all servicemen performing their duties outside the Philippines.

"They have shown a culture of peace, heroism, and dedication, and commitment to serve even outside of their office especially at this crucial time," he said. "They may be gone but they will forever be in our hearts."

At the time of the killer quake, a total of 462 Filipinos were in Haiti - 290 civilians and 172 military and police peacekeepers.

The announcement came hours after the first Filipino casualty was reported by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The body of Jerome Yap, executive assistant to the deputy head of the UN mission in Haiti, was found at 6:15 p.m. Monday, Philippine time. [See: Body of UN Pinoy worker in Haiti retrieved from rubble]

Yap's body was recovered from the site of the collapsed hotel, a few hours after other remains were found, including those of mission head Hedi Annabi, deputy Luis Tacosta and Chinese Ambassador to Haiti Shulin Wang.

Yap's sibling based in New York is already coordinating with the UN regarding the arrangements for the transport of his remains.

Yap's family in Pampanga has already been informed and would be left to decide on whether to bring his remains back to the Philippines.

With the retrieval of the remains of the two Filipinos, four Filipinos, who are believed trapped in a number of establishments in Haiti, remain missing.

They are Sergeant Janice Arocena and Sergeant Eustacio Bermudez, both members of the RP peacekeeping force in Haiti; and Grace Fabian and Geraldine Lalican, who both worked at the Caribbean Supermarket. - Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMANews.TV

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