12 Months Tour Of Duty Over
By Lyna Mohammad

Bandar Seri Begawan - The first group of the Brunei Darussalam International Monitoring Team/IMT returned home yesterday after a 12-month tour of duty in the Philippines,

A welcome home ceremony at the Royal Brunei Air Force Base in Rimba greeted the eight personnel of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces landed in a Royal Brunei Air Force CN235 aircraft at 3pm.

They returned a day after a second IMT group left for the Philippines yesterday.

Chief guest at the welcoming ceremony yesterday was Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Defence, Awg Hj Mustappa Hj Sirat. The Acting Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Col (U) Dato Paduka Hj -Mahmud Hj Saidin, was also present.

At yesterday's welcoming event were the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Virginia H. Benavidez, military commanders and commandants, senior officers, officers and staff of MINDEF and RBAF and family members of the returning personnel.

The eight personnel welcomed home were Major Azman Hj Bangkol, Major Hj

Damit H,j Bakar, Captain Pg Hj Rudy Halyamin Pg Hj Chuchu, Captain Aldi Hj Hassan, Captain Mohd Salehudin Dato Paduka Hj Puasa, Captain Hj Fadzli HJ Abdullah, S/Sgt Japarudin Hj Sabtu, Cpl Hj Ramlee Hj Serudin and L/Cpl Mazlan Rajap.

The group commander, Lt Col Hj Aminuddin Ehsan Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Hj Abdin and Major Azman Hj Bangkol, who are still in Cotabato, Mindanao, for transfer of duties process, will return home on September 21.

Major Haji Damit bin Hj Bakar said the mission is a very good experience and a very good exposure for them, RTB reported.

He said they hope more army personnel will be exposed to international missions.

Brunei Darussalam's first group of IMT has been in Cotabato since October 2004. Their task will be continued by the second group which arrived yesterday in the Philippines.

The tasks of the IMT are to oversee and supervise a ceasefire between the Philippine government forces and Muslim separatist rebels in the southern Mindanao Island.

The ceasefire between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was signed in 2002. The IMT presence is to ensure that a truce is observed while peace talks continue. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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