“Cowards” that is what the United Nations Disengagement
Observer Force (UNDOF) commander called
the Filipino peacekeepers who escaped
from the Syrian rebels. This statement offended the Davao City Mayor Rodrigo
saying he was offended that the UN general said
that our Filipino soldiers are cowards.
UNDOF Commander Lt. Gen. Iqbal Singha was suspected by the
Philippine military of ordering the Filipino peacekeepers surrounded by the
rebels who were connected to al-Qaeda in Golan Heights late August to surrender
their firearms to the insurgents. However the Philippine soldiers refused to
obey his order and manage to escape from the rebels.
“If you see the UN general, shoot him in
the head. Tell them, it’s Mayor Duterte’s request,” he added.
In an interview with India times, Singha said that the actions of the Filipino
troops were "non-professional" in having threatened the lives of
Fijian peacekeepers who were earlier seized and taken hostage by the rebels. The
UN leadership, in the meantime, supported Singha's call even though the
Filipino troops defied his order.
UN Undersecretary for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé
Ladsous said that General Singha has exercised good sound of judgment all
along the process.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights had previously called out Duterte for his "kill" threats in contradiction of criminals in his
turf. He right agency said that it is unbecoming of a public off like Duterte’s
manner as it gives the impression that we are not living under a government of
laws.
