Philippine military chief visits displaced Cambodians in border province

PHNOM PENH, 14 February 2026 (KPT) – The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has continued his visit to Cambodian civilians displaced by border tensions, officials said Saturday.

General Romeo S. Brawner Jr. travelled Friday to a camp in Wat Kandal, Thma Puok district, in Banteay Meanchey province. He was accompanied by Cambodia’s Coordination Team (CLG) and the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT).

According to Cambodian authorities, the camp is currently sheltering 1,520 families, or 5,735 people.

The visit comes amid ongoing efforts to address the impact of border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.

In a joint statement issued after the 3rd Special Meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee on 27 December 2025, both sides agreed to allow civilians affected by the situation in border areas to return home “as soon as possible,” safely and without obstruction.

Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said that as of Friday morning, 78,393 people, including 26,385 children, had yet to return to their homes.

The ministry called on Thailand to fully implement the December agreement, as well as an earlier peace accord signed on 26 October 2025, and other related arrangements.

It said the aim was to achieve a peaceful and lasting resolution in line with international law and existing bilateral treaties.