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Thursday, January 30, 2003
Arroyo backs US on Iraq
MANILA -- President Arroyo on Wednesday supported the United States' decision to present evidence against Iraq at the United Nations Security Council.
This as she reiterated her call for Iraq to fully cooperate and comply with UN arms inspectors to avoid war in the Middle East.
US soldiers participating a military exercise in Pampanga also reiterated their clarification that their presence is not in preparation for the war in Iraq.
"The Philippines supports the case brought by the United States against Iraq before the UN Security Council. For the sake of peace in the Middle East, we call on Iraq to give the UN Security Council resolution the most urgent and serious consideration and to extend full cooperation to the UN arms inspection teams," she said.
Arroyo came with the statement after the State of the Union Address by US President George W. Bush, who declared that the US is prepared to address the Iraq problem on its own and lead a coalition do disarm Iraq.
"For the sake of peace in the Middle East, we call on Iraq to give the UN Security Council resolution the most urgent and serious consideration and to extend full cooperation to the UN arms inspection teams," she said.
But Arroyo's national security adviser, Roilo Golez added: "We do not expect hostilities to start in the next few days."
Golez said the US government's decision to seek a February 5 meeting of the UN Security Council to present new evidence of Iraqi defiance of disarmament demands meant that the Americans continued to adhere to the UN process.
"To me this is going to be very positive because this will enable the US to more clearly explain its side because right now people continue to ask: Where is the evidence?," he said.
Golez also stressed that Washington had issued verbal pledges to give Manila "enough warning" if hostilities were to start.
"The report of the UN inspection team is no reason for the acceleration of hostilities," he added.
Bush told Congress that he was sending Secretary of State Colin Powell to the UN Security Council to present "information and intelligence" about Iraq's arms programs. However, he said Washington was prepared to lead a coalition against Iraq if Saddam Hussein refuses to voluntarily disarm.
Bunye said the Philippines, which has a mutual defense treaty with Washington, was largely interested in protecting its 1.3 million overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East, including 60,000 "very close to the possible area of conflict."
Asked if Manila would grant US aircraft use of Philippine airspace in a campaign against Iraq if Washington decides to act unilaterally, Golez said Arroyo would convene the National Security Council "and our response would be appropriately discussed there."
Oil supply
The government is confident its oil supplies will "not be greatly disrupted" if war erupts, he said, adding that Manila had sought alternative sources of crude oil.
Energy Secretary Vincent Perez said the country has prepared a contingency plan to ensure a stable oil supply in lieu of the looming war in Iraq.
According to Perez refiners will be required to stockpile enough oil to meet their sales for 30 days, while bulk suppliers must keep enough oil to service clients for at least 15 days.
The Philippines consumes around 330,000 barrels of oil products a day, and more than half of oil supply is imported from Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Contingency plans
Meanwhile, Roy Cimatu, head of the Middle East Preparedness Team (MEPT) said all contingency plans are in place to protect the safety of the country's workers in the Middle East.
"Of all the workers in the Middle East, I think the workers from the Philippines are the most prepared, motivated, and confident because they know the plans are in place," Cimatu said.
"They have been getting some telephone calls almost everyday from their loved ones here in the Philippines for them to go home already but after that they told their families here that they are OK and they expect that they will be OK for the next events that may happen," he said.
The over 100 Filipinos in Iraq are reportedly pressured to stay after employers offered to raise wages two to three times higher if they continue to work even if war breaks out.
However, no notice to evacuate Filipinos has yet been received by the Philippine Embassy in Iraq, said Philippine charge de Affair in Iraq Grace Escalante.
Much as government has prepared for contingency measures to evacuate Filipinos in the Middle East should war in Iraq erupts, there has been no order on the hand stopping the deployment of Filipinos workers for the Middle East
Rosalinda Baldos, administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in a television interview said no order has been issued to stop sending Filipinos in the Middle East.
Posting for job openings in the Middle East continues as well as deployment.(Sunnex/AFP/Leiza Malinao) |
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