26 May 2006 — Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo took a series of measures to ensure the safety of Filipinos in Timor-Leste in the light of the deteriorating security situation in the capital  Dili.

Secretary Romulo is monitoring closely the situation in Timor-Leste following receipt of the reports by Philippine Ambassador to Dili Farita A. Aguilucho-Ong on the briefing for the diplomatic corps on 23 May 2006 by Timor-Leste Senior Minister and Foreign Minister Dr. José Ramos-Horta who expressed serious concern over the prospects for peace and reconciliation.

Ambassador Aguilucho-Ong informed Secretary Romulo that Timor-Leste President Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão “announced that the Timorese government had accepted the offer of bilateral police/military assistance offered by Australia, Portugal, New Zealand and Malaysia.”    Latest reports indicate that Australian soldiers have already arrived in Dili to assist the Timor-Leste government in restoring peace and order in the country.

After an evaluation of the Ambassador’s report, Secretary Romulo said “I have alerted National Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Jr., on the recommendation of our Embassy in Dili, to make available on stand-by an Air Force C-130 transport aircraft to evacuate around 200 Filipinos from Dili if the need arises. ”

In support of this measure, Secretary Romulo has “instructed Ambassador Roy Cimatu to proceed to Dili to assess the security situation there as well as to review the evacuation plans formulated by our Embassy for its staff and for the Filipinos in Timor-Leste.”

The records of the Embassy show that there are approximately 200 Filipinos in Timor-Leste as of December 2005.  These OFWs are composed of the 6-member peacekeeping force (1 military observer and 5 civilian police), lawyers, educators, trainors, engineers, technical personnel, advisers, accountants, construction workers, religious missionaries, hotel personnel, housewives married to Timorese and domestic workers working for UN personnel.     The Embassy is composed of seven personnel, four Manila-based officers headed by Ambassador Aguilucho-Ong and three locally hired staff.  END