|
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Arroyo saddened by Pinoy death in Saudi attack
MANILA -- Government officials on Tuesday condemned a daring attack on the US consulate in Jeddah that killed nine persons, including a Filipino, and urged other nationals abroad to heighten precaution against terror strikes.
President Arroyo said the Saudi Arabia incident only stressed the need for Filipinos to be on alert wherever they may be.
Arroyo sent her sympathies to the family of the Filipino worker who died and the other who was injured during Monday's terrorist attack on the US consulate.
Islamic militants lobbing explosives forced their way into the heavily guarded consulate before Saudi security forces stormed the building and fought a gun battle to end the attack.
Romeo de la Rosa, 44, who had been working in the consulate for the past 12 years, died from a bullet wound in the head while Wenceslao Piscate was set to undergo surgery following injuries in the elbow, pelvis and one of his knees.
A bullet hit Piscate and got lodged in his knee when suspected members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror organization attacked the US consulate in Saudi Arabia.
Aside from Filipino worker de la Rosa, four others--a Yemeni, Sudanese, Sri Lankan and Pakistani--were dead.
Another 13 people were injured, including five Saudi security men.
"The Jeddah attack only shows that Filipinos there must be doubly on the alert because terrorists attack when they perceive security weaknesses. The President expresses her sympathy to victims and their families and asks for prayers for them," said Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye.
The incident, according to Bunye, should also serve as "fair warning" to Filipino workers who are planning to sneak into Iraq despite the volatile situation there.
It also reinforces the need for the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq to continue, he added.
Government has been continuously rejecting calls to lift the deployment ban until the spate of terrorist attacks and kidnappings in Iraq stop.
Foreign Undersecretary Jose Brillantes said the Jeddah incident showed clearly "the evil of terrorism".
"We really have to condemn it," added.
He reminded about 1.5 million Filipino workers in the Middle East, including about 6,000 in Iraq, to heighten precaution.
He said two Filipino workers were also recently wounded in separate insurgent attacks on US military bases in Iraq.
At the Senate, Senator Manuel Villar reiterated his call for government to implement strictly the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq and areas with insurgency problems.
"Our OFWs there will continue to be helpless targets and victims of Iraqis who hold a grudge against the US. We are also perceived as enemies because of our close association with the US in their war on Iraq," he said.
During a hearing on the proposed budget of the labor department, Villar asked the agency to review its policy on Iraq deployment.
He also urged the department to file criminal charges or cancel the licenses of recruiters who still lure Filipino jobseekers to work in Iraq or in other troubled areas. (AP/JMR/JPM)
(December 8, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
