What do you think of a US attack on Iraq?
February 23, 2003 | 12:00am
We should be concerned about the planned US attack on Iraq because of the thousands of Filipino overseas workers who will be affected should it happen. There have been endless debate on what our government should do and should not do in this situation, and as in every debate, there are two sides as to how a war of this nature should be handled by the Filipino people.
I know that when I feel so much uncertainty about the future of our country my best recourse is to turn to God and ask Him that He guide our leaders so that they make the right decisions. Of course, it is also important that the leaders of our nation listen to the voice of the people and what they feel will be good for our country. I asked some respected personalities how they feel and what they think about a war on Iraq. This is what they had to say.
Gerarda Villa, founder and chairperson, Crusade Against Violence: Whenever this issue is brought before me, I cannot help but imagine the people who will be displaced. As a grandmother to my three apos and founder of the Crusade Against Violence, my heart goes out to the unintended victims of the encounter. In fact, I am seriously thinking of conferring with our national president, Carina Agarao, on how we can align our efforts to help the Filipinos in the Middle East. If she can still find some time, because she’s a very busy person, I want to request her to consider helping out in the event of an attack.
Senator Juan Flavier: As a general principle, being a doctor, I am always against war. My main concern is the welfare of Filipinos in the Middle East. We must make sure not only that they will be safe but also that we can set in place programs to reabsorb them within the local economy. I am all for sending medical personnel to the Middle East whose services will be made available to all sides.
Senator Ralph Recto: No. 1, I’m against war. No. 2, I do not support unilateral action by the US against Iraq. That means they do not have the approval of the UN Security Council. A war in Iraq may devastate our economy. The longer it takes, the harder it would be for our country.
Evelyn Kilayko, chair, Concerned Women of the Philippines, chair, Nayong Pilipino Foundation, trustee, Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Foundation: Iraq is in violation of UN resolutions. If no action is taken now, other nations will defy the UN in the future thus resulting in anarchy. But there must be some way other than war to resolve the problem. Waging peace is really difficult but we just have to keep on trying for the survival of mankind.
Senator Manny B. Villar Jr.: Nobody wins in a war. This is not our war. The US government is adamant about a military solution to the Iraq problem but the world is not behind them this time, unlike in 1991 when different nations joined forces to liberate this war because of the possible backlash against our migrant workers in the Middle East. We will not gain anything by participating in this war. The government should think of the safety and welfare of our migrant workers before issuing statements that may provoke anti-American groups in the country and abroad where our OFWs live and work.
Atty. Katrina Legarda: It’s a hair-brained scheme of men with no brains. The Americans put up the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC with the motto "Never again." Why don’t Bush’s people apply this to themselves?
1st District Rep. Rolando G. Andaya Jr.: The effects of the war will be far-reaching. The US better help allies militarily and economically.
Mari Kaimo, news anchor: There is no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein is a power-hungry tyrant hiding weapons of mass destruction who has just been biding his time before making another attempt at enlarging his empire, no matter what the consequences. Neither do I doubt that he has any qualms about using WMD since he’s had no problems gassing his own people. So, while I join the rest of the world in hoping for a quick and peaceful resolution to the problem of Iraq, I’m not too optimistic that Saddam will step down willingly or that an uprising from inside Iraq would succeed.
If he did step down today, then the problem would be over, but I’m afraid it will most certainly take force to unseat him. There are too many men like him in recent history who were displaced only by force to leave room for much optimism: Ceacescu, Milosevich, Papa Doc Duvalier, Mussolini, the list goes on and on. For whatever it’s worth, though, the war itself is being planned to be a short one, and an exiled or even escaped Saddam is a considerably smaller threat than a Saddam who’s president of a country with the world’s second largest oil reserves.
That being said, I still wouldn’t mind seeing a little more evidence proving a link between Al-Qaeda and Iraq before an actual war begins.
I know that when I feel so much uncertainty about the future of our country my best recourse is to turn to God and ask Him that He guide our leaders so that they make the right decisions. Of course, it is also important that the leaders of our nation listen to the voice of the people and what they feel will be good for our country. I asked some respected personalities how they feel and what they think about a war on Iraq. This is what they had to say.
Gerarda Villa, founder and chairperson, Crusade Against Violence: Whenever this issue is brought before me, I cannot help but imagine the people who will be displaced. As a grandmother to my three apos and founder of the Crusade Against Violence, my heart goes out to the unintended victims of the encounter. In fact, I am seriously thinking of conferring with our national president, Carina Agarao, on how we can align our efforts to help the Filipinos in the Middle East. If she can still find some time, because she’s a very busy person, I want to request her to consider helping out in the event of an attack.
Senator Juan Flavier: As a general principle, being a doctor, I am always against war. My main concern is the welfare of Filipinos in the Middle East. We must make sure not only that they will be safe but also that we can set in place programs to reabsorb them within the local economy. I am all for sending medical personnel to the Middle East whose services will be made available to all sides.
Senator Ralph Recto: No. 1, I’m against war. No. 2, I do not support unilateral action by the US against Iraq. That means they do not have the approval of the UN Security Council. A war in Iraq may devastate our economy. The longer it takes, the harder it would be for our country.
Evelyn Kilayko, chair, Concerned Women of the Philippines, chair, Nayong Pilipino Foundation, trustee, Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Foundation: Iraq is in violation of UN resolutions. If no action is taken now, other nations will defy the UN in the future thus resulting in anarchy. But there must be some way other than war to resolve the problem. Waging peace is really difficult but we just have to keep on trying for the survival of mankind.
Senator Manny B. Villar Jr.: Nobody wins in a war. This is not our war. The US government is adamant about a military solution to the Iraq problem but the world is not behind them this time, unlike in 1991 when different nations joined forces to liberate this war because of the possible backlash against our migrant workers in the Middle East. We will not gain anything by participating in this war. The government should think of the safety and welfare of our migrant workers before issuing statements that may provoke anti-American groups in the country and abroad where our OFWs live and work.
Atty. Katrina Legarda: It’s a hair-brained scheme of men with no brains. The Americans put up the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC with the motto "Never again." Why don’t Bush’s people apply this to themselves?
1st District Rep. Rolando G. Andaya Jr.: The effects of the war will be far-reaching. The US better help allies militarily and economically.
Mari Kaimo, news anchor: There is no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein is a power-hungry tyrant hiding weapons of mass destruction who has just been biding his time before making another attempt at enlarging his empire, no matter what the consequences. Neither do I doubt that he has any qualms about using WMD since he’s had no problems gassing his own people. So, while I join the rest of the world in hoping for a quick and peaceful resolution to the problem of Iraq, I’m not too optimistic that Saddam will step down willingly or that an uprising from inside Iraq would succeed.
If he did step down today, then the problem would be over, but I’m afraid it will most certainly take force to unseat him. There are too many men like him in recent history who were displaced only by force to leave room for much optimism: Ceacescu, Milosevich, Papa Doc Duvalier, Mussolini, the list goes on and on. For whatever it’s worth, though, the war itself is being planned to be a short one, and an exiled or even escaped Saddam is a considerably smaller threat than a Saddam who’s president of a country with the world’s second largest oil reserves.
That being said, I still wouldn’t mind seeing a little more evidence proving a link between Al-Qaeda and Iraq before an actual war begins.
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