Press Release No. 058-03
18 February 2003
OPLE
ASKS LGUs TO BRACE FOR TERRORIST BACKLASH OVER IRAQ BUT COUNSELS
AGAINST PANIC
Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople today called on local governments,
in conjunction with the Philippine National Police, the Department of Interior
and Local Governments and with civil defense groups of the Department of
National Defense, to brace for a possible terrorist backlash in Philippine
cities should war break out in Iraq or the Middle East.
Ople made the appeal when he met with the executive board of the League of
Cities at the Sheraton Park Hotel. The secretary had earlier met with
the mayors of the national capital region and will meet the League of Governors
in the first week of March.
The secretary inaugurated the series of meetings with local governments to
apprise them of international developments and particularly on the crisis
situation over Iraq as well as the Philippine government's stand on the issues.
An audio-visual briefing was conducted by (Acting DFA Assistant Secretary
for American Affairs) Cristina Ortega.
Ople asked the city mayors to prepare their own counter-terrorist plans down
to the barangay level.
He said the presence of suspicious strangers should be promptly reported
and threat assessments made to enable law-enforcement authorities to act
fast in dealing with terrorist groups.
At the same time, Ople pleaded with the city mayors to prevent panic reactions
which can have a contagion effect on the morale of the 1.4 million Filipino
overseas workers in the Middle East.
"Our response must be calm, collected and firm," Ople said, adding: "The
government is taking every step to ensure the safety and welfare of all our
overseas workers in the Middle East.
The secretary said the Philippines was strongly supporting United Nations
Security Council 1441, which requires Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to rid
himself of weapons of mass destruction including chemical, biological, radiological
and nuclear weapons.
DILG Undersecretary Wenceslao Andanar introduced Secretary Ople. Mayor
Francis Tolentino of Tagaytay City presided over the meeting.
The executive board of the League of Cities includes the following: Mayors
Amadeo R. Perez (Urdaneta); Mel Senen S. Sarmiento (Calbayog); Hector
Villanueva (Bais); Jerry P. Trenas (Iloilo); Sally A. Lee (Sorsogon); Jesse
Robredo (Naga); Arnan Panaligan (Calapan); Noel E. Rosal (Legazpi); Nandolph
Ting (Tuguegarao); Angelito Gatrlabayan (Antipolo); Lourdes Theresa Plaza
(Butuan); Omar Solitario Ali (Marawi); Tomas R. Osmena (Cebu); Rafael Baraan
(Dagupan); Franklin Quijano (Iligan); Rogelio Antalan, (Is. Garden of Samal);
Lorelei Fajardo (Palayan); Ernesto Natividad (Gapan); Mary Jane Ortega (San
Fernando, La Union); Nestro Alvarez (Science City of Munoz); and representatives
of the cities of Mandaue, San Fernando, Pampanga, Baguio City, Kabankalan,
Bacolod and Batangas. END