RP gets OIC-member countries’ support in observer status bid

Manila has received assurances from member-countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) that they continue to support the country’s observer status bid in the Muslim union.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said yesterday that several OIC members support the Philippines’ application for observer status, though the request has yet to be granted.

While Manila has an assurance of support for its observer status bid in the OIC, Romulo said the country will also formalize its request before the OIC during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Gulf Coordinating Council (GCC) meeting at the United Nations (UN) in New York this week.

"We will ask again for their support for the Philippines application for observer status bid in the OIC. I already talked to Muslim countries including Libya and they are all out in supporting the Philippines’ application," Romulo said.

Romulo admitted last July that no assurance on the Philippines’ bid for OIC observer status had been given, but said the government continues to work hard to get the 57 Muslim countries to approve its application.

He said the fact that Russia was granted observer status in the OIC is a positive sign for the Philippines. Diplomatic sources earlier said the Philippines had failed again to secure permanent observer status in the OIC.

Sources said the Philippine application was not included in the agenda of the 32nd Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers held in Yemen’s capital of Sana’a from June 28 to 30, where the country was represented by Romulo upon the invitation of the OIC.

Romulo said the Philippine bid was strongly supported by a number of OIC members, among them Turkey, but he did not mention if the country’s application was tackled during the meeting in Yemen. — Pia Lee-Brago