Hopes dim to Find Three Pinoy UN Peacekeepers Alive by Marie Rea

Port-au-Prince. 19 January 2010. As Army Corporal David Catacutan was found alive at the collapsed Montana Hotel in earthquale-ravaged Haiti, hopes run high (that) three other Filipino United Nations Peacekeepers would be recovered safe. Lately, that hope has dimmed for the other three.

This was learned from an ABS-CBN news phone interview with Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesman who said that the three peacekeepers – Army Sergeant Eustacio Bermudez, Air Force Sgt. Janice Arocena and Navy Petty Officer 3 Pearlie Panagui are believed to be still trapped under the destroyed Christopher Hotel, used by the Minustah (Mission des Nations Unies Pour La Stabilisation en Haiti) or United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti.

Brawner said the Philippine peacekeeping force had been waiting for special equipment to be used for digging into the rubbles of the affected hotel in the capital Port-au-Prince.

The ongoing search and rescue operations have been given a boost with the rescue of Catacutan who is now resting at the Philippine headquarters there.

The Filipino peacekeeping force has around 172 personnel, 157 from the AFP and 15 from the Philippine National Police stationed in Haiti.

Standby teams are ready to fly into the ravaged Caribbean Island as the international airport operations have been hampered by the effects of the earthquake.

Meanwhile, Brawner had stressed that the rest of the Philippine peacekeeping contingent in Haiti are safe and have been helping in the massive rescue operations.

Reports from the International Red Cross reveal that around 40 to 50 thousand Haitians are believed to have been killed in the devastating tremor which struck last Tuesday.

Other foreign countries particularly the United States have been pouring food supplies and much-needed resources to help the people of Haiti.

Australia’s foreign ministry has also reported that a small number of Australians are still unaccounted for but as of this writing, there has been no news of Aussie deaths.

News Flash. MANILA, Philippines. The military said all four soldiers trapped inside the United Nations building in Haiti have been accounted after the body of Sergeant Janice Arocena was recovered.

Updated: 2010-02-10 — 19:27:03