AFP: 4 RP soldiers remained trapped in Haiti after quake

(Updated 11:25 a.m.) At least four Filipino soldiers who are part of a United Nations peacekeeping contingent remained missing in the wake of a powerful earthquake that hit Haiti, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said early Thursday. Meanwhile, Philippine Foreign Affairs authorities admitted they still could not get a clear picture of the situation of Filipinos in Haiti after the quake. "Maaring naka-duty ang mga ito at the time... Na-inform na natin ang relatives (The soldiers were likely still on duty at the time the quake struck. Their relatives have been notified already)," AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. told dzBB radio. He identified the four as Perly Tanagui (Philippine Navy); Sgt. Jermis Arcena (Philippine Air Force); Sgt. Estacio Bermudez (Philippine Army); and Cpl. David Catacutan. In an interview with Unang Hirit on Thursday, AFP peacekeeping operations head Col. Gregory Cayetano reported having spoken on the phone again with AFP Ground Commander Col. Lope Dagoy last Wednesday night. “Other members of the AFP contingent are helping in the rescue and retrieval operations in Haiti today. We are still, however, trying our best to reestablish communication with the four AFP personnel trapped inside the hotels," said Cayetano, adding that the victims might have run out of batteries. Cayetano said the four who were trapped in the hotels were alive, since they had been able to communicate to rescuers through radio. Except for Catacutan who was last reported to be at the Montana Hotel, the three were at the Christopher Hotel in Port-au-Prince, where the United Nations office in Haiti is located. Citing reports reaching him, Brawner said the other members of the Philippine contingent were safe and helping in rescue operations. "May mga minor injuries daw pero as of now everybody is safe aside from the four. Safe ang 153 others (Some of them had minor injuries but as of now everybody's safe aside from the four)," he said, adding that communications in Haiti were still down. "Nagkakaroon ng chaos, which is natural during disasters like an earthquake. Kailangan daw nila ang tulong medical at pagkain (There was chaos there, which is natural during disasters such as an earthquake. They need medical aid and food)," he said. In an interview with Unang Hirit, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said that all 15 members of the PNP in Haiti were safe and helping in the rescue operations, citing a text message from one of the PNP personnel there. Both Cayetano and Espina said there have been no directives yet to pull out the Filipino personnel from the earthquake-ravaged country and return them to the Philippines. “Wala pa pong desisyon ngayon. In fact, ito po ang trabaho natin kapag tayo po ay pinadadala sa ibang bansa," Espina said, referring to the Philippine contingent’s peacekeeping mission under the United Nations. Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it still could not get a clear picture of the plight of Filipinos there due to communication problems. DFA Undersecretary for migrant workers affairs Esteban Conejos, Jr. said there are 447 overseas Filipino workers in the textile, garment and power sectors there, as well as an undetermined number of priests and nuns. "Walang (There is no) specific confirmation on the condition of Filipinos there," Conejos told dzXL radio. He added that they were trying to get reports from the Philippine Embassy in Cuba, which has jurisdiction over Filipinos in Haiti. — with Johanna Camille Sisante and Nikka Corsino/LBG/RSJ/NPA, GMANews.TV