Arroyo gone back on her decision to allow the U.S. to use Philippines air and sea bases against Iraq.

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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