Congress urged to pass P500-M budget for Lebanon evacuation

Malacañang asked Congress yesterday to allocate an additional P500 million to fund the evacuation of Filipinos from war-torn Lebanon.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye made the appeal after thanking the Senate for suspending hearings on the alleged misuse of Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) funds until the crisis in Lebanon is over.

"Meanwhile, other national priorities have to be attended to," he said.

"We, therefore, urge our legislators to pass the P46.4 billion supplemental budget, which includes a P500 million package to bolster the evacuation efforts in Lebanon.

"We need the funds to provide our team on the ground more elbowroom in ensuring safe transport and other forms of assistance to our stranded nationals," Bunye said.

The OFWs stranded in Lebanon "have to be served with our undivided attention until they are all rescued," Bunye said.

Last July 26, President Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 551 creating Task Force Lebanon headed by Vice President Noli de Castro and gave it an initial funding of P1 billion.

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. said Malacañang saw it fit to seek an additional P500 million from Congress to cover other possible expenses in evacuating some 35,000 Filipinos in Lebanon.

OWWA Administrator Marianito Roque estimated the total cost of repatriating all Filipinos there to be at least P2 billion.

Bunye said the Palace "appreciates the fact that the Senate has suspended the investigation on the OWWA funds, especially in light of the certification by the Commission on Audit (COA) that the OWWA funds are intact and readily available."

Bunye was reacting to reports that the Senate labor committee, after getting a consensus among the 23 senators, decided on Monday night to suspend temporarily its hearings on government efforts to evacuate Filipino workers in Lebanon.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita praised opposition Sen. Jinggoy Estrada for his statesmanship in postponing the hearings until government crisis managers are done with their task.

Bunye also reiterated the government’s call for a truce in Lebanon to enable humanitarian assistance to get through.