Diplomacy blocks RP peacekeepers to Iraq

The lack of status of forces agreements (SOFA) among the Philippines, Kuwait and Qatar is hampering the deployment of a Filipino humanitarian mission to Iraq, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday.

The SOFA is one of the requirements that need to be met before the 500-man humanitarian mission can be deployed, AFP spokesman Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia said.

"There are certain terms to cover the stay of the troops. This is a standard operating procedure whenever troops are going to a certain country. A SOFA would be a standard procedure for the protection of both sides and a SOFA would be different from one country to another, especially for Muslim countries," Garcia said.

The mission, now known as the Philippine Humanitarian Commission to Iraq, was supposed to fly to Qatar and then to Kuwait on May 15. From Kuwait, the mission will proceed to Iraq.

Garcia said the SOFA to be forged with Qatar and Kuwait would most likely be similar to the Visiting Forces Agreement signed by the Philippines and the United States in May 1999. The VFA covers the stay of American troops in the Philippines for joint war exercises with the AFP.

Officials of the humanitarian mission to Iraq will meet today with diplomats from Kuwait and Qatar to thresh out the details of the mission. Foreign affairs officials are spearheading the forging of the SOFAs with the two countries, Garcia said.

Though it is possible for members of the humanitarian mission to fly straight to Iraq since no government has yet been established there, they will still have to go to Qatar and Kuwait for their administrative and logistical requirements.

Though the mission will be closely coordinating with the US Central Command based in Doha, Qatar, the US will not extend any financial assistance to the humanitarian team.

Garcia said the mission will be entirely shouldered by the Philippine government. The 300 soldiers in the team will get an additional 50 percent of their daily pay as incentive. The US will only provide transport, medicine, water, tents and ready-to-eat meals.

Those who are part of the mission "are going there not for the money but (out of a) sense of duty," Garcia said.

He stressed that the deployment of a humanitarian mission to Iraq will push through even without the support of the United Nations.

"We are going abroad to a people traumatized by war. Nothing will (stop) us from giving aid whether with UN backing or not," Garcia said.

The mission is composed of 300 soldiers, 100 policemen, 60 personnel from the health department, 39 social welfare department workers, and a representative from the foreign affairs department.

Garcia said a brigadier general will most likely be tasked to supervise the military component. Some Muslim military officers will also be joining as "cultural consultants" and possibly as interpreters.

Last April 6, Armed Forces Col. Jose Villarete, Police Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao and Dr. Evangeline Cruzado from the health department left for Macdill air force base in Tampa, Florida to serve as advance party.

Another three-man team will fly to Doha, Qatar soon to coordinate with the US Central Command. – With Marichu Villanueva