GMA lauds Saddam capture

Threats to democracy in the ongoing post-war reconstruction efforts by the US-led coalition in Iraq have abated with the recent capture of deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, President Arroyo said yesterday.

Mrs. Arroyo made this statement upon her arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after an overnight state visit to Bahrain.

While in Bahrain, Mrs. Arroyo met with Philippine officials led by ambassador Roy Cimatu, head of the Middle East Preparedness Team (MEPT), which supervises the 350-strong Filipino peacekeeping and humanitarian troops working with the rest of the US-led international coalition in Iraq.

She also formally opened the Philippine School of Bahrain, with Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. She was accompanied by special envoy to the Gulf Cooperation Council, Amable Aguiluz V and other Philippine government officials.

"Our peacekeepers and humanitarian workers in Iraq know the score and have continuously observed vigilant measures to keep safe and secure," Mrs. Arroyo said, obviously to assuage families and relatives of the Filipino contingent in Iraq that their loved ones were safe against possible retaliatory attacks by Saddam loyalist troops.

In an official statement she issued yesterday at the Palace, Mrs. Arroyo expressed optimism on the positive impact to the global economy of the capture of Saddam on Saturday by American troops.

"There has been a surge in global confidence that has positively impacted even on our local bourse," Mrs. Arroyo cited.

"The overall security outlook in the Middle East has become more buoyant and this will have an effect on the productivity of the more than a million Filipinos working there," she added.

Meanwhile, the President reported that her visit to Bahrain, where she met with His Majesty the King Shaik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, has allowed her to seal "a broader diplomatic front for peace" and protection for the welfare of thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in the Middle East.

There are about 22,000 OFWs working in Bahrain, consisting mostly of skilled and semi-skilled workers.

In the joint statement issued at the end of the talks between Mrs. Arroyo and King Khalifa, both countries reaffirmed their respective government’s cooperation to counter international terrorism "in all its forms" and to condemn violence.

Bahrain is one of the members of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), which has committed to participate, as part of the international peace monitors, to check against ceasefire violations between Philippine government forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Mrs. Arroyo and the King of Bahrain also witnessed together the signing of three bilateral agreements between the two countries: a Protocol to Amend and Supplement the Air Services Agreement of 1992, a Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism, and a Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Education.

The joint statement issued at the end of the closed door talks said that both sides have agreed to benefit from Bahrain as a regional center to distribute products and services of Philippine companies in the region, and facilities offered by the Kingdom for private companies operating in the offshore, insurance and banking sectors.

"Both sides agreed on the importance of convening the first meeting of the Bahrain-Philippines Joint High Commission by next year to follow-up their agreements to develop bilateral relations," the statement said.