Iraq asks Phl: Reopen embassy

MANILA, Philippines - Iraq has conveyed to the Philippine government its hopes that the Philippine embassy in Baghdad will be reopened as authorities gave assurance the peace and order situation in the country has improved, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

DFA Undersecretary Rafael Seguis said Iraqi authorities expressed high hopes on the return of Filipino diplomats to Baghdad.

Seguis headed the team dispatched by DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario to assess the situation in Iraq for possible lifting of the Philippine government’s deployment ban and reopening of the embassy.

He reported that Iraqi authorities had assured him the peace and order situation in the country has improved significantly since the Philippines was forced to transfer its embassy in Iraq to neighboring Jordan more than six years ago.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq has conveyed its desire to see the Philippine flag flying once again in Baghdad,” Seguis said in a report to the DFA.

“We have been assured by Iraqi authorities that their security situation has improved considerably during the past several years,” he said.

Seguis added the delegation received assurances that the Philippine embassy would be provided with all the support it would need should Manila decide to resume its diplomatic presence in Iraq.

Seguis said the security situation appeared to have improved considerably from the last time he was in Baghdad in 2005.

The delegation arrived in Baghdad on Monday and has been meeting with officials from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Meantime, Seguis met with leaders of the Filipino community inside Victory Base Camp of the United States Forces in Iraq on Wednesday.

Filipino workers expressed their appreciation to the government for relaxing the deployment ban that allowed them to keep their jobs with American companies servicing the US military up to the end of the year.

In another development, Del Rosario announced repatriation efforts of Filipinos in Yemen would be intensified due to the possible worsening of the political-security situation in the capital city of Sanaa.

“Upon the instructions of President Aquino and committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of Filipinos in Yemen, we are intensifying efforts to repatriate Filipinos out of Yemen,” Del Rosario said.

As of yesterday, 282 Filipinos had been repatriated from Yemen since the Philippine government raised alert level 3, or voluntary repatriation in Yemen. The repatriation will be implemented using government funds.

Alert level 4, or mandatory evacuation, was raised in Sanaa on June 6.

The embassy team led by Ambassador-designate Ezzedin Tago will continue to encourage Filipinos, especially those in Sanaa, to take advantage of the government’s voluntary repatriation program.

The team has been there since Feb. 25, even before tensions began in the country.

Filipinos in Yemen are also advised to call the embassy team in Sanaa if they feel unsafe in the area where they are residing and the teams can move them to a safe area.

Filipinos there were also advised not to venture outside if they feel that their safety is at risk. There are around 1,200 Filipinos still in Yemen.

The embassy teams will continue to assist Filipinos should they wish to be repatriated to the Philippines, together with Philippine Honorary Consul in Sanaa Mohammad Al-Jamal.