GMA’s wish: Freedom and peace for Iraqis

President Arroyo said yesterday that her birthday wish is for the return of peace and freedom to the Iraqi people, even as the United States-led coalition forces finally entered Baghdad on the 16th day of the war in Iraq.

"I pray and wish for the people of Iraq to have peace and freedom in their land," the President said in her remarks at the end of the thanksgiving mass celebrated for her 56th birthday at the San Agustin Parish Church in Lubao, Pampanga. Her family, led by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, attended the mass.

Mrs. Arroyo said she will continue to pray for the immediate end of the war in Iraq, with the US-led coalition forces finally disarming Iraqi President Saddam Hussein of his weapons of mass destruction, so that peace can be attained.

The Chief Executive said she is thankful for the daily reports submitted by Ambassador Roy Cimatu, head of the Middle East Preparedness Team, telling her that the 1.4 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Gulf region remain safe and out of harm’s way.

Cimatu, who has been staying in Kuwait to oversee the contingency plans for the 60,000 OFWs in Kuwait, reports daily developments in the Iraq war and the status of OFWs as reported to him by Philippine ambassadors in the Gulf region, especially those in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Although OFWs remain generally safe from any missile threats from Iraq after US-led coalition forces captured key cities such as Basra, Cimatu told the President he has directed all Philippine ambassadors in the area to alert OFWs against the growing threat of terrorist attacks.

Cimatu urged OFWs to remain vigilant at work, especially those working in places frequented by American nationals and other Westerners targeted by Iraqi terrorist squads sent out by Saddam.

Philippine ambassador to Jordan Ruperto Dizon told the President that there has been an increase in "anti-US, anti-war" demonstrations in Amman and in other major cities in Jordan.

Dizon said he has issued an advisory to OFWs in Jordan to avoid places where such anti-war demonstrations are taking place since Filipinos have been identified as supportive of the US war against Iraq.