Bodies of Filipino peacekeepers may arrive on Monday to a hero's welcome

The bodies of the three Filipino soldiers and a civilian staffmember of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force who died in last week’s deadly quake in Haiti may arrive in Manila on Monday and will receive military honors, a spokesman for the Philippine armed forces reported today. In a press briefing, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said that the bodies of the four Filipinos have already been brought to the UN’s logistics base in Port-Au-Prnce, where necrological services will be conducted Friday night. The four peacekeepers are Navy Data Processor 3 Pearly Panangui, Army Sgt. Eustacio Bermudez, and Air Force Sgt. Janice Arocena, all members of the 10th Philippine peacekeeping contingent to Haiti; and UN civilian staff Jerome Yap. After the necrological services, Brawner said that the four will be brought to the Dominican Republic and taken via plane to the US. From there, the bodies will be boarded on another plane bound for the Philippines. Brawner said the bodies will be escorted by members of the Philippine contingent, led by Maj. Steve Ducusin. Hero's welcome for peacekeepers "Monday is the earliest time that we are expecting our peacekeepers to return. When they reach the Philippines, they are going to receive a hero’s welcome," said Brawner, adding that the AFP will make sure to give them due honors. Brawner said that no less than Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado will lead the honors for the three peacekeepers, who were found buried underneath the collapsed Christopher Hotel, headquarters of the UN in Haiti. Brawner explained that not all soldiers who die in the line of duty are given honors, but this is a special case because "they are peacekeepers and they they’ve given honors to our country. That is why we will be giving them also the hero’s welcome that they deserve". Search continues "even with bare hands" Two Filipino overseas workers, Grace Fabian and Geraldine Lalican, are still unaccounted for. Their last known whereabouts were at the collapsed Carribean Supermarket, where Filipino peacekeepers are now helping in their search and hopeful rescue. Brawner belied reports that the military has abandoned its efforts to account Fabian and Lalican, pointing out that only the Americans have left the site to help in areas where there are higher chances for survivors. "Our efforts have not stopped. It's only the American contingent that stopped their efforts, but the Filipino contingent are continuing to find ways to recover Grace and Geraldine," said Brawner. He said they will continue with the efforts "even if we have to do it with our bare hands." - TJD, GMANews.TV