Senate to review gov't preparations on US-Iraq tension
MANILA, Oct. 1 2002 (PNA) -- Now that Malacanang has approved of a
contingency plan in the event that the US-Iraq crisis escalates, Sen.
Ramon Magsaysay today filed a resolution urging the Senate to review
the preparations being undertaken by the Philippine government to
protect the 1.5 million Filipino workers in the Middle East.
Magsaysay, chairman of the senate committee on national defense
and security, said the Filipino people deserved to be informed of the
contingency plans and efforts the government has drafted in the
interest of national security as it is duty-bound to protect and
never compromise the welfare and security of every Filipino.
He said the contingency preparations of all the concerned
departments and the agencies of the government must be identified and
sorted out particularly with regard to labor and relocation, oil
supply requirement, education, the threat of increases in the prices
of basic commodities and economic plan.
Magsaysay, together with Senate President Franklin Drilon and
Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda attended today's meeting of the
National Security Council (NSC) which tackled the preparations of the
different departments with regard to the US-Iraq conflict.
On the other hand, Drilon said the contingency plan as approved
would call for the relocation of Filipinos if necessary but there is
no immediate plan to repatriate the 121 Filipinos in Iraq.
"There is no necessity of repatriating the one million Filipinos
in Saudi Arabia, considering that Iraq would never attack the
Kingdom. So there is no danger to our Filipinos there. But the
government is prepared to undertake relocation activities," he said.
Drilon also said the government is in the process of increasing
its inventory of oil supply from the present 62 days to about 90 days
in order that there will be an assurance of oil supply should the war
break out.
Legarda likewise said that Energy Secretary Vincent Perez has
assured of the country's oil supply.
"I understand that he is going to Saudi Arabia to discuss the
continuing oil supply of our country," Legarda said.
With regard to oil supply, Perez said that local oil companies
would be required to maintain a higher inventory to ensure an
adequate supply of oil in the country.
The energy chief said the government was taking steps to ensure
a steady oil supply including proposals to Japan, China, South Korea
and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that a regional oil
stockpile be located at Subic Bay, Zambales.
Perez said the country was also holding talks on contingency
bilateral supply agreements with traditional and new oil-producing
countries. (PNA)
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