Cimatu to remain special envoy to ME until June 30

MANILA, Philippines - Former Armed Forces chief Roy Cimatu will remain special envoy to the Middle East until June 30 this year, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said yesterday.

Ochoa said Cimatu’s appointment was for a “limited period of time,” and the creation of the Overseas Preparedness and Response Team under Executive Order 34 replaced the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Committee, which the former military general headed.

“It’s a case-by-case assessment. In fact, that is the process when it comes to the appointment of all special envoys,” Ochoa said over radio dzBB. “It’s up to the President to determine later, when the appointment expires, whether or not he will reappoint or not appoint a special envoy.”

EO 34 expanded the composition of the crisis team and the scope of its responsibilities to allow the government to respond swiftly to the needs of overseas Filipinos caught in political uncertainties and natural disasters in their host countries.

Cimatu will serve out his term until June 30 based on his reappointment by President Aquino.

Cimatu was one of those named by retired Lt. Col. George Rabusa, a former military budget officer, as recipient of “pabaon” or sendoff money upon retirement from the Armed Forces. He denied the allegations.

Ochoa said a new response team for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) was created to improve the way the government was addressing their concerns abroad. But he said this did not mean the previous team or the various agencies concerned were failing to do their jobs.

“Our long-term plan is to really keep track of the number of OFWs, and not only OFWs but Filipinos going abroad who might be put in danger because of political upheavals in the different countries. Right now what we have are data that do not give us the accurate number. Sometimes we lose track of Filipinos who end up as drug mules. So we hope to cover those areas. Many Filipinos are still forced to go abroad to seek greener pastures,” Ochoa said.