The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reiterated its support to international peacekeeping missions of the United Nations (UN) particularly in the Korean peninsula where nuclear threats continue to pose security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region.
This was underscored after the visit of Lt. Gen. Andrew Harrison, deputy commander of the UN Command in the Republic of Korea (UNC-ROK), at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Friday, Feb. 24.
Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, AFP Inspector General, accommodated Harrison and reiterated that the AFP under the leadership of Gen. Andres Centino, AFP Chief of Staff, remains committed to support the UNC-ROK in its mission of keeping the peace and facilitating reconciliation in the Korean peninsula.
“The Philippines is one of the UN Sending States that provide personnel to the UNC mission. Currently, there are personnel assigned to the UNC-ROK’s Honor Guard,” said Col. Jorry Baclor, chief of AFP public affairs office.
The “Sending States” are comprised of the 16 nations that provided combat, combat support, or combat service support during the Korean War and were present during the signing of the Armistice Agreement in 1953. The armistice agreement signaled the cessation of hostilities between the South Korea and the North Korea during the 1950-1953 Korean War.
These include the Philippines which deployed the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK); Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
But tension between South Korea and North Korea persisted over the years since the armistice did not evolve into a peace agreement, which is why the UNC continues its peacekeeping mission in the Korean Peninsula.
Recent reports said that South Korea conducted a military air exercise with the United States last week just as North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile while projecting its nuclear capabilities.
On the part of the AFP, Baclor said the AFP was “studying” the possibility of sending officers to join UNC-led peacekeeping exercises with other countries.
“The AFP also noted the current efforts of the UNC-ROK on reviewing the UN mission’s Terms of Reference as well as the developments in modernizing the UNC being spearheaded by the United States and United Kingdom," Baclor stated.