Philippines wants information on the death of peacekeeper in S. Sudan
March 24, 2008 (NEW YORK) — The Philippines has asked the United Nations to provide answers to the death of a Filipino peacekeeper in Sudan in 2007.
Lieutenant Colonel, Renerio Batallan died of malaria on October 23, 2007, in the Lakes State capital of Rumbek a day after his 41st birthday and a few weeks before he was supposed to end his year-long service in Sudan.
Ambassador Hilario Davide, Philippine permanent representative to the UN in New York, requested the UN official investigation report on the case of Lieutenant Colonel, Renerio Batallan, a Filipino Army officer who was reported to have succumbed to malaria while serving as a miltary observer with the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).
Davide earlier sought the report but failed to get it. He then reiterated it through a note verbale sent to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
Philippine ambassador also raised concerns over Batalla’s death in the statement he delivered before the 2008 Substantive Session of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations last week.
“It has been more than four months since Lieutenant Colonel Renerio Batalla of the Philippines expired but there are still questions left unanswered,” Davide said in his statement which was posted on the mission’s website.
“Unfortunately, we do not have the answers as until now the Philippine Government has not received a copy of the Board of Inquiry report on the circumstances surrounding his death,” he said. “The Philippines seeks those answers to help Lieutenant Colonel Batalla’s family find closure and also to allow us to draw lessons from this tragedy.”
The Philippine mission wanted to know if Batalla received prompt and proper medical care after he presented himself at the UN clinic with malaria-like symptoms; if indeed he died of cerebral malaria; and if enough efforts were exerted by UNMIS authorities to have him evacuated immediately to the nearest regional medical facility.
The Philippines is among the 30 top troop contributing countries with a total of 670 military and police personnel serving in the UN missions in Afghanistan, Cote d’ Ivoire, Darfur, Georgia, Haiti, Liberia, Kosovo, Nepal, the Sudan and Timor-Leste. The number includes 21 military observers, 13 of whom are deployed in the Sudan.
(ST)