UN chief honors Pinoy, other peacekeepers killed in 2006

One of the 107 United Nations’ peacekeepers killed in line of duty in 2006, who received honors in a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York, is Dominador Serrano, a Filipino. Serrano is a civilian from the Philippines. He was killed during the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti. In memory of those who lost their lives for world peace, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led Tuesday’s commemoration ceremony and promised to ensure the security of those in the peace mission across the world. On the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Ban said that although UN peacekeeping mission is a burden that member countries share, “…we must never forget that the brunt of this burden is borne by individuals." “For those who survived, we are thankful," he said. “For those who lost their lives, we are that much more determined to honor their selfless dedication and courage, by continuing to work for peace and security in the world’s most troubled regions." The Philippines has 641 military and police personnel in UN peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia, Sudan and Timor-Leste. The UN General Assembly declared in 2002, May 29 as the UN Peacekeepers Day, the date in 1948 when the first peacekeeping mission, the UN Truce Supervision Organization, began operations in Palestine. - GMANews.TV