PH: Troops endangered, but we’ll pull out of Golan ‘the proper way’

The Philippine military leadership has submitted to Malacañang Palace a “blow by blow” account of how Filipino troops escaped Syrian rebels in Golan Heights by defying an order from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) commander. They are standing by their story despite UN’s denial of it and its expression of support for the commander in question. A spokesman of President Benigno Aquino III said the Philippines wants “to complete our tour of duty and wind down our UN commitment in the proper way,” despite what happened. The country was already planning to pull its troops out of Golan even before Syrian rebels almost too them hostage. Filipino soldiers were hostages, and freed unharmed, by rebels in Golan twice before.

Read about Malacañang’s statement here. The full story on the Philippine military standing by its story is on Rappler.