Press Release No.180
18 April 2003
Task
Force on Philippine humanitarian assistance to Iraq to “hit the ground running”;
meets on Tuesday
The newly-created Inter-Agency Task Force for the Coordination of Philippine
Humanitarian Assistance to Iraq to be chaired by Foreign Affairs Secretary
Blas F. Ople will meet on Tuesday morning at the Department of Foreign Affairs
to discuss Philippine participation in reconstruction efforts.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople made this announcement as he called
on the members of the Task Force to “hit the ground running” in keeping with
President Arroyo’s desire to step up efforts for the Philippines to lend
its assistance and support to the rebuilding of Iraq.
Ople said the Inter-Agency Task Force would take up the guidelines of the
Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (OHRA) which is handling
the interim operations for all humanitarian assistance to the Iraq people.
It would also discuss the sending of a 500-strong humanitarian mission composed
of PNP and military personnel, social workers, medical teams and a DFA career
official.
The Secretary cited Executive Order 195 issued by the President on April
14 as the legal basis for the creation of the Inter-Agency Task Force.
The EO provides that aside from formulating a consolidated plan of proposed
Philippine assistance to the Iraqi nation, the Task Force shall also perform
the following functions:
a. Conclusion of arrangements with receiving/host governments whereby the
Philippine personnel contingent in Iraq are not put at personal risk from
application of local law when deployed abroad upon orders;
b. Conduct of public information, education and communication campaign on
the hazards and risk, if any, involved in the sending of
peacekeeping/humanitarian missions.
Ople said the organizational meeting of the Task Force would also tackle
the creation of a Technical Working Group that would discuss in detail all
components of Philippine humanitarian assistance to Iraq.
In his letter of invitation to Task Force members, Secretary cited the presidential
directive for the Inter-Agency Task Force to “hit the
ground running”. “Even as a developing country, we must do our share to help
alleviate the suffering of the people of Iraq, especially its women and children.
We do so not only as part of the “coalition of the willing” but as a member
of the United Nations which has a major role to play in the reconstruction
of Iraq,” Ople stressed.
The Task Force shall be composed of the following:
Secretary of Foreign
Affairs, chairman
Secretary of National
Defense, co-chairman
Special Envoy, Middle
East Preparedness Team, executive director
Secretary of Health,
member
Secretary of Interior
and Local Government, member
Secretary of Social
Welfare and Development, member
Chief of Staff,
Armed Forces of the Philippines, member
Director-General,
Philippine National Police, member
Executive Director,
Office of Muslim Affairs, member
The Philippine Ambassadors
to Iraq and Kuwait, members
And other official(s)
to be designated by the President as members