Solon backs standby funds for possible OFWs’ evacuation

He said a special session is needed to approve additional standby funds for the Middle East crisis as the current situation was not yet in existence when the 2020 budget was deliberated. (File Photo: Francis Tolentino/Facebook)

MANILA — Senator Francis Tolentino on Tuesday expressed his full support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to call for a special session of Congress for the purpose of putting up a standby fund needed to secure more than a million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East amid rising tensions between the US and Iran.

In an interview, the administration lawmaker said President Duterte has a basis to fear for the lives of our OFWs in the Gulf region following the killing of top Iranian commander, Major General Qasem Soleimani in a United States drone strike in Iraq on January 3.

Fears of all-out conflict in the Gulf region arose after Iran threatened to take “severe revenge,” with President Donald Trump also warned of “major retaliation” if Iran makes good on its threat.

“Naniniwala ako na talagang kailangang magkaroon ng sapat na pondo para matugunan kung ano ang pangangailangan (I believe that we really needed sufficient funds to cover any contingency),” Tolentino told Senate reporters.

He said a special session is needed to approve additional standby funds for the Middle East crisis as the current situation was not yet in existence when the 2020 budget was deliberated.

“Ang sinasabi ng Pangulo dapat andyan yan na mas malaki para napaghandaan na natin… para mailigtas naman at maisaalang-alang yung ating mga kababayan na OFW (What the President is saying is a bigger additional standby fund should be there to prepare for the crisis.. so that we can secure and take care of our OFWs),” Tolentino said.

Tolentino, however, admitted that he has no idea how much the contingency fund would be, only that it should be sufficient to cover the immediate evacuation or repatriation of our countrymen.

“Initially, there should be funds for chartered planes as well as to secure our OFWs in case of widespread hostilities,” he said.

“We should secure them first, and our embassies should have funds for that. Then, if needed, repatriation, which is going to be a logistical nightmare, so to speak. We are talking of millions here,” Tolentino said.

According to official data, there are an estimated 1.2 million registered OFWs working in Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, Israel, and Bahrain.

There is also an unknown number of unregistered or undocumented OFWs illegally working in the region.

Besides the standby fund, Tolentino said there is a need for the government to increase the oil reserves of the country, which is currently at 15 percent of the total oil consumption.

“Kung magiging 30 o 40 percent, malaking buffer yun kung sakaling magkaroon ng sigalot sa Middle East na kakailangan natin ng dagliang pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng langis (If we can increase it to 30 or 40 percent, it would be a big buffer in case of hostilities in the Middle east wherein we would need an immediate response for our oil requirements),” Tolentino said.