DFA sees US-Iraq war by Jan. 31

War between the United States and Iraq is inevitable. In fact, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday it may erupt between the end of January and the first week of February 2003.

The Philippine government is again deploying a team to oversee the safety and security of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East on Jan. 6, as the DFA sees war being inevitable in the region.

The DFA said there are no indications that the US will back down from its position of launching an attack on Iraq.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said Philippine diplomatic missions in the Middle East, Washington and New York relayed this information to the home office.

"There are reports from our posts, as well as the Philippine mission in the United Nations, who monitor the movement in the region," Ople told a press briefing.

With this development, President Arroyo ordered the re-deployment of the Middle East Preparedness Team (MEPT) led by retired Armed Forces chief Gen. Roy Cimatu.

Cimatu and his team will be accompanied by nine chemical and biological warfare experts from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to oversee the condition of the 1.5 million Filipinos in the region.

"The momentum of war preparation is in full swing. This momentum can’t be stopped unless a miracle intervenes," Ople said.

He said the MEPT is scheduled to leave for Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — the three countries most likely to be affected by the war.

"This team departs next month for another visit to the Middle East region to finalize preparations for any eventuality of war against Iraq, as this might spread to other countries," Ople added.

Cimatu’s team will be composed of DFA Assistant Secretary and former ambassador to Iraq Reynaldo Parungao, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Virgilio Angelo and directors Ramon Tionloc Jr., Nicon Famerong and Rustico de la Fuente.

The military officers accompanying the MEPT are Jay Tindoy, Samuel Felix, Ruben Fajardo, Krestofel Kiamco, Lito Tabangcura, Rodion Lucena, Ernest John Jadloc, Dante Maddatu and Rolando Pinuela.

According to Ople, the government has allotted P300 million for the evacuation and relocation of Filipinos who will be affected by the US-Iraq conflict.

He said the capital outlay for the evacuation and relocation is "sufficient as of the moment" since the UN and the International Migration Office (IMO) have pledged to partly shoulder the evacuation and relocation expenses.

Cimatu said the IMO is forthcoming to Manila’s request for assistance in the event war erupts in the Middle East.

He added that the US, Japan and the European Union have also vowed to help the Philippines in providing the transportation needed for the evacuation and relocation of OFWs in the Middle East.

"We have two plans for our OFWs in the Middle East. It’s either evacuation or relocation. For those who opt to stay, we will extend maximum assistance in case of emergency," Cimatu said.

He said he will meet the ambassadors of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE at the DFA. "We will inform them of our contingency plan and request, for assistance and preparations for our trip there."