This Valentine’s message of President Arroyo to her Iraqi counterpart, Saddam Hussein, was not written on any fancy, scented stationery as United States forces massed up around Iraq in a looming showdown in the Gulf region.
Mrs. Arroyo exhorted Saddam yesterday to heed the world community’s call for peace in the spirit of Valentine’s by complying with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 to destroy all Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.
The latest appeal was contained in a statement issued by the presidential palace yesterday, eve of Valentine’s Day that is celebrated the world over as an occasion to spread love and peace.
"This Valentine’s Day, I join our countrymen in calling for peace in the world, and in our own country," the President said.
"War is the scourge of civilization, and I am with all humanity praying for peace. I pray that Saddam Hussein will heed the United Nations’ call for the destruction of weapons of mass destruction in order to prevent war," she said.
In a late night interview Wednesday over ZOE TV, Mrs. Arroyo clarified anew that the Philippines is not against Iraq nor the Iraqi leadership which refused to dismantle weapons of mass destruction, if any.
She cited that the Iraqis are peace loving people and they themselves do not want these weapons of mass destruction, and therefore Saddam must heed the sentiments of the majority of his people.
"If not, then he (Saddam) should be blamed if a war erupts in the Middle East," the President said.
Mrs. Arroyo vehemently debunked criticisms of her being a supposed "puppet of the Americans" for asking Iraq to comply with the US demands to inspect their country and look for and destroy these weapons of mass destruction.
She explained that siding with the Americans is just a coincidence because the Philippines and the US are allies in the fight against global terrorism.