RP presses UN Security Council bid

President Arroyo vowed yesterday to vigorously pursue the country’s bid to gain a seat in the UN Security Council.

The President reiterated Manila’s desire to get elected to the Security Council amid reports that the country’s bid may be hampered by its support of the US-led war in Iraq.

"The Philippines has been aiming for a seat at the UN Security Council for sometime now and this has nothing to do with our strategic partnership with the United States," Mrs. Arroyo said in a statement.

"It is erroneous and unfair to say that our support for the US campaign versus terrorism would hamper our bid. Our being part of the global coalition against terror is pursuant to a UN mandate," the President said.

"Our strategic partnership with the US is part of our involvement in global security. The UN itself is a non-partisan body," she added. "There are factors that support, rather than impair our bid for a UN Security Council seat."

The Philippine bid for a seat in the Security Council would likely be raised when Mrs. Arroyo and Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople meet with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York on Sept. 26.

The Security Council, the UN body primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security, consists of 15 members, with China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States as permanent members with veto powers.

The remaining 10 are elected to two-year terms by a two-thirds vote of the 197-member General Assembly. They are not eligible for immediate re-election.

The terms of Guinea, Mexico, Syria, Bulgaria and Cameroon are set to expire in December while the terms of Germany, Pakistan, Spain, Chile and Angola run until December 2004.

But during the President’s last visit to the UN headquarters in New York, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Lauro Baja reported that Pakistan had been blocking the country’s campaign. He did not elaborate.

During his daily briefing, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye expressed optimism that the Philippines would get elected to the Security Council.

"We’ve been trying to get the seat for a long time and I believe all efforts are being exerted to make sure that chances will improve during the forthcoming elections," Bunye said.

"The President has been at work as well as the diplomatic officials. I believe no stone will be left unturned. So all opportunities to strengthen the bid for that very important Security Council seat (will) be taken by this government," he said.

Bunye also dismissed perceptions that the escape of confessed Indonesian terrorist Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi and the July 27 "Magdalo" mutiny would hamper the country’s bid.

"I’m not sure these factors will play a part as far as securing the seat at the UN Security Council (is concerned)," he said.