RP sending cops, soldiers to Iraq

The Philippines is now planning to send more soldiers and policemen for a peacekeeping mission in Iraq, Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said yesterday.

Ople said the government is planning to send 500 soldiers and policemen, along with 100 medical workers. The earlier plan was to deploy only 75 soldiers and policemen with 100 medical workers, who were due to arrive in Baghdad on June 30.

In a statement, Ople said the deployment might be delayed, pointing out the "changing situation in Iraq" prompted the government to reassess the composition of the Philippine contingent. No date was given for the new deployment.

"What is currently needed in Iraq are peacekeepers. We have an excellent record as peacekeepers and the experience and expertise that we gained as we helped bring peace to post-conflict situations around the world would be important contributions to helping stabilize the situation in Iraq," he said.

"Although we wanted to deploy early, unavoidable delays in our deployment means that the services of our medical personnel may no longer be needed and what is more needed now are peacekeepers," Ople added.

Other officials, however, disclosed it was the US that demanded the Philippines should change the composition of its contingent.

The sources said the US Embassy conveyed to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) the immediate need of the US Central Command to restore peace and order in post-war Iraq.

The Central Command’s decision to ask for soldiers, rather than civilian medical workers, was reached during a meeting in Poland, the sources said.

It was agreed that the Filipino contingent will be placed under the command of Poland, which will act as the international coordinator of the mission.

The Filipinos will be joined by other contingents from Ukraine, Bulgaria, Latvia and other countries of the "coalition of the willing" that supported the US-led war on Iraq.

"The problem is how we are going to explain this to Congress since there is no budget for a big military contingent," one of the officials disclosed.

The sources said technically, President Arroyo approved the change in composition of the contingent, but the details were not relayed to her.

Ople explained the deployment of peacekeepers to Iraq would be based on the clear mandate established by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in its resolution 1483 of May 22, 2003.

"This is a mandate under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which is the usual basis for the call on states to contribute troops for the maintenance of international peace and order," Ople said.

Ople pointed out Operative Paragraph 1 of the UNSC Resolution 1483 calls for the UN member-states to contribute to conditions of stability and security in Iraq as mandated by the UN.

The government originally planned to deploy a contingent composed primarily of medical and social workers. However, many other countries have been able to bring along medical personnel and equipment shortly after the hostilities ended in Iraq.

Ople said Filipino peacekeepers will be posted between Baghdad and Basra, an area predominantly occupied by Shi’ite Muslims.

"There is still some volatility in the area and pockets of resistance and trouble making," Ople said after a meeting with officials of the Philippine Humanitarian Task Force in Iraq at the DFA.

Ople, however, allayed fears the peacekeepers might be placed in danger. "The war is over," he said, adding members of the mission are veterans of similar missions in East Timor and Cambodia.

Peacekeeping forces will go ahead of the medical team to ensure that civilian personnel would not be at risk upon reaching Baghdad, Ople said.

"They will give an indication when the welfare officials can go there," he said.

Of the medical and social personnel comprising the contingent, Ople said there will be 100 nurses and caregivers from the Departments of Health and the Social and Welfare Development.

On June 15, an advance team from the DFA, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP) will leave for Baghdad to make the necessary preparations before the main contingent arrives.

The AFP contingent will be led by Brig. Gen. Pedro Ramboanga, former brigade commander in Ipil town, Zamboanga del Sur. The PNP contingent will be led by Superintendent Sukarno Ikbala of the Western Police District in Manila.

Each soldier and policeman will receive $500 a month. Funding for the mission will be coming from the budget allocations of the defense and interior and local governments departments.

On the other hand, the health workers and caregivers will be entitled to an aggregate amount of P67 million.

Ople said some P36 million from the President’s contingency fund have also been authorized for release to augment the funding of the mission.