DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo and Philippine National Police chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. on Monday welcomed 20 members of the PNP peacekeeping mission from strife-torn South Sudan.

The peacekeepers were flown to Juba, South Sudan where they served from November 17, 2022 to December 22, 2023.

All of them received the PNP Medalya ng Kasanayan for their role in keeping peace in South Sudan, which for nearly a decade has been grappling with sporadic violence, chronic food security and killer floods.

Acorda, who twice became a member of the PNP contingent to Haiti, said the 20 police personnel demonstrated the values that define the Philippine National Police—integrity, service and excellence.

Sec. Manalo, who was joined by some top DFA officials, thanked the PNP and the PNP Directorate for Plans headed by Major Gen. Rudolph B. Dimas for inviting him to the PNP national headquarters.

The DFA chief said that as a founding member of the United Nations, the Philippines has actively participated in UN Peacekeeping Operations to do our part, and to help make peace a reality in most of the conflict-ridden parts of the world.

He said that since the “Limbas Squadron” flew to the Congo in 1963, “we have deployed over 14,000 Filipino peacekeepers to 21 United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions in Africa, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific.”

Sec. Manalo commended the PNP for its efforts in enhancing the Philippines’ reputation as a reliable Troop and Police Contributing Country (T/PCCs) by sending more Individual Police Officers to UN Peace Operations.

The deployment of Individual Police Officers to the UN Mission in South Sudan significantly increased our ranking among TPCCs from 98th out of 121 countries in 2021 to 80th last year.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon