RP troops to stay in Iraq despite ambush

The government said yesterday it would maintain its military contingent in Iraq but could redeploy the force to a safer area following an ambush in which three soldiers were injured.

"Our humanitarian contingent will stay but their deployment options must be expanded to areas less prone to danger," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement.

Three Filipino soldiers were wounded in an ambush by Iraqi militants on a military convoy in northern Iraq last Tuesday.

The Filipinos were travelling with United States forces in a seven-vehicle convoy when they were attacked near the village of Talayyi in Babil province south of Baghdad.

The wounded soldiers, part of a 51-member humanitarian contingent of soldiers and policemen serving with US-led forces, were airlifted to a military hospital and were out of danger.

"The Philippine government’s commitment to help rebuild and restore democracy in Iraq will not be put off in the midst of these security problems, but we assure the public that the safety of our nationals is of constant and utmost concern," Bunye said.

He added that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Team Iraq are already on top of the situation and are jointly reassessing the situation on the ground in Iraq following the ambush.

Prior to the ambush Tuesday, President Arroyo’s standing orders were for the members of the Philippine contingent in Iraq to remain within their compound until the situation there improves.

"As far as the overseas Filipino workers who are there, any of them who would want to be repatriated would be given full assistance by government," he added.

Team Iraq leader and special envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu is in charge of security for Filipinos in the region.

Three Filipino civilians have been killed in Iraq so far and three other Filipinos were killed in a terrorist attack in the Saudi Arabian city of Al-Khobar.

Bunye said Team Iraq has not made any recommendations yet for the pullout of the Philippine contingent in Iraq, so the contingent will remain there.

"We will be waiting for more definite recommendations from the Iraq team," he said. "We will rely on the recommendation of the Iraq team."

The Philippines stopped the deployment of civilian workers to Iraq after a Filipino truck driver was killed in a roadside bombing in April and another Filipino worker was killed in a mortar attack on a US military base in May.

Apart from the Filipino soldiers there are more than 3,000 civilian Filipino workers in Iraq, mostly employed in US military installations.

The US has repeatedly lauded the Philippines for its commitment to Iraq and for being its partner in the global war on terrorism.

US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly said in recent testimony before the US House international relations committee that the Philippines has been a US ally since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.

"The Philippines has emerged as a valued and supportive partner, sharing our policy goals and sending its own men and women to help in Iraq and restore order in other parts of the world," he said. — AFP, Marvin Sy