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Philippines Congress Votes Against U.S. Invasion of Iraq
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Arroyo gone back on her decision to allow the U.S. to use Philippines air and sea bases against Iraq.
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By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia correspondent
KUALA
LUMPUR, October 23 (IslamOnline) - The Philippines Congress on Tuesday,
October 22, supported a resolution denouncing the United States’ war
agenda against Iraq, urging the Macapagal Arroyo administration not to
back a unilateral Washington military campaign against Iraq.
The
resolution has gained the support of the majority of the 216
congressmen, with 110 of them signing it because they believe their
country should not be at war against Iraq, which is not their enemy.
Party-list
Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales of Akbayan, one of the principal authors of the
resolution, said the majority support for the resolution shows that the
House is strongly against the U.S. plan to launch a military offensive
against Baghdad.
“I
hope Malacañang gets the message loud and clear,” Rosales told
the ABS-CBN News agency in an interview.
Rosales
said the opposition to Washington’s war agenda cuts across all
political parties in the House, and this is evident in the keen interest
of the lawmakers, who have signed up as coauthors.
“They
signed up not because of anything but because they believe in what the
resolution is saying - that we should not be backing a war against a
nation that is not even our enemy. The U.S. government has no legal and
moral ground to unleash war against the people of Iraq,” Rosales said.
The
resolution is in its first reading and will soon be referred to the
House Committee on Foreign Relations chaired by Lakas Rep. Jose
Apolinario Lozada Jr. of Negros Occidental, another one of the
resolution’s principal sponsors.
Lozada
stated that the resolution is expected to breeze through his committee,
considering that most of the signatories are members of the panel.
“Once
referred to the committee, we will immediately come out with a report
and have it calendared for debate and approval in plenary sessions,”
he said.
Rosales
said the resolution may have no force and effect of law, but it would
help the Palace “see the light.”
“This
is a sense-of-the-House resolution, and we would like the President to
know the sentiment of even her close allies in the House on the issue of
the U.S.’ war plans against Iraq,” Rosales said.
Arroyo
has given her personal support to the U.S. for its war against Iraq but
has gone back on her earlier decision to allow the U.S. to use
Philippines air and sea bases against Iraq.
The
Arroyo regime is divided on the issue of terrorism and the war the U.S.
wants to wage on Iraq, forcing the president to undertake a low profile
on the Iraq issue.
Besides
the Congress, the Senate is also divided on the issue and it appears a
majority of the Senators are against a war by the U.S. over Baghdad.
Arroyo
earlier said her government is a close ally of the U.S. and will have to
give moral support to the government of George W Bush, yet she added
that Muslim countries are close partners of the Philippines and her
country must have good relations with them.
In
her perspective, Iraq is also a partner in progress with the
Philippines. A quarter of a million of Filipino workers were in Iraq
until last month, representing a huge foreign exchange influx to Manila,
sources told IslamOnline.
Besides
Iraq, Filipino workers are seen all over the Middle East. They occupy
important posts in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which are also not in favor
a unilateral war against Iraq.
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