{"id":241491,"date":"2020-01-06T18:51:09","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T23:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=241491"},"modified":"2020-01-06T18:51:09","modified_gmt":"2020-01-06T23:51:09","slug":"congress-asked-to-prepare-standby-fund-for-ofws-in-mideast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2020\/01\/06\/congress-asked-to-prepare-standby-fund-for-ofws-in-mideast\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress asked to prepare \u2018standby fund\u2019 for OFWs in Mideast"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
In a speech after signing the 2020 national budget, Duterte admitted that he was afraid that the lives of Filipino workers in the Middle East would be put in jeopardy after an American drone strike in Iraq killed Iran’s most important military leader. (File photo<\/a>: Armed Forces of the Philippines\/Facebook<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA<\/strong>\u00a0— President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called on Congress to prepare a \u201cstandby fund\u201d that could be used for the possible evacuation of Filipino workers in the Middle East amid rising tensions between the US and Iran.<\/p>\n

In a speech after signing the 2020 national budget, Duterte admitted that he was afraid that the lives of Filipino workers in the Middle East would be put in jeopardy after an American drone strike in Iraq killed Iran’s most important military leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is an evolving crisis somewhere. We do not know what would be the end result of this crisis. It could lead to a protracted war. It could be wide-scale strife but whatever it is, we Filipinos are really in grave peril,\u201d Duterte said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have so many millions, nearing three I think…of Filipinos working mainly in the Middle East.\u00a0Kinakabahan ako<\/em>\u00a0(I am nervous),\u201d he added, noting that it will only be a matter of time that Iran retaliates.<\/p>\n

Duterte admitted that it would be a \u201cgargantuan effort\u201d to bring all Filipino workers in the Middle East back safely, but said it is possible with help of the Congress.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suggest that Congress even for about\u00a0ano lang — bahala kayong<\/em>\u00a0(it\u2019s up to you) one or two days discuss the problems, the ramifications. But I don\u2019t know where you want to put the money,\u201d Duterte said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s a thing that would need on standby, that I can — that the government can get immediately, source it from where so that we can use the money immediately,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Panel for standby fund<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duterte suggested the creation of a committee to \u201ccut across accounting rules\u201d for the standby fund for Filipino evacuees because he did not want his office to handle it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe might want to place it in the hands of a committee\u00a0kasi ayaw ko \u2018yung magkwenta-kwenta ako pagkatapos<\/em>\u00a0(I don\u2019t want to compute and then when you get) you got huge amount\u2026 I do not want to be bothered with that kind of\u2026\u201d Duterte said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need billions there, standby\u00a0lang<\/em>\u00a0(only). And calculate what would be the calibrated withdrawals first in places where it is really very dangerous,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

He said he is \u201callergic\u201d to having to decide on where to spend government funds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not as bright as the others, those with strategic minds might want to do it for us. Let\u2019s start with a standby fund,\u201d Duterte said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very allergic to how the money is spent. I do not want to hold it. We might want to get some of the men with integrity and probity and they can be the disbursing body there,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Although he could handle the job himself, the least he wanted was being cast aspersions on.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would rather that you have the power to do it. If you really want to do it, you create a committee and make an oversight\u00a0kaagad<\/em>\u00a0(immediately). A congressional oversight so that everything will be okay,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

To prevent corruption, Duterte also urged the Congress to put \u201csafeguards\u201d in the fund for Filipino evacuees.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlam mo \u2018pag ganito malaking pera at saka mabilisan ang pasa<\/em>\u00a0(You know if it involves a huge sum of money and immediate release), there\u2019s bound to be some you know. I hate to say this but that\u2019s always the case,\u201d Duterte said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a bureaucracy who\u2019s sometimes corrupt. And a bureaucracy who\u2019s timid, who\u2019s very extra cautious and that is why the projects are not implemented even down the line,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Ensure their safety<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Sunday, Duterte met with security officials to discuss contingency measures to ensure Filipino workers\u2019 safety in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told them of the gravity of the situation and told them that they have to start even the deployment itself,\u201d Duterte said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just cannot — there is no such thing as a minimalist view here. It\u2019s fraught with danger. And I am afraid of the so many lives of our countrymen in jeopardy in that place,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo assured that the Armed Forces has prepared their assets for the possible evacuation of Filipino workers.<\/p>\n

Panelo acknowledged how some Filipinos refused to evacuate despite the rising conflict, but said it was too early to say if the President would call for forced repatriation.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasta ang sinabi ni Presidente \u2018i-<\/em>ready\u00a0n\u2019yo lahat \u2018yan, \u2018pag nag<\/em>-escalate\u00a0\u2018yan eh kailangang i-<\/em>pullout\u00a0natin ang mga kababayan natin\u2019<\/em>\u00a0(The President said \u2018Ready your assets, when tension escalates, we need to pull out of citizens),\u201d Panelo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cKung nanganganib ang kanilang buhay siyempre gagawin ang lahat ng pamahalaan upang mailigtas sila sa kapahamakan<\/em>\u00a0(If their lives are in danger, of course, the government will do everything to protect them from harm),\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Oil prices being monitored<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, he also assured that the government is prepared for the possible impact on oil prices amid escalating US-Iran tensions.<\/p>\n

\u201cSabi ni<\/em>\u00a0Secretary Pernia,\u00a0mino-<\/em>monitor\u00a0nila \u2018yan, tinigtignan nila kung anong magiging epekto sa atin at paghahandaan nila<\/em>\u00a0(Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said they are monitoring it and they\u2019ll see its effect and prepare for it),\u201d Panelo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure\u00a0\u2018yung<\/em>\u00a0grupo\u00a0ng<\/em>\u00a0economic managers\u00a0natin mayroon silang ginagawang kahandaan upang tugunan kung ano man ang krisis na darating<\/em>\u00a0arising out of the Middle East tension (I\u2019m sure the group of economic managers have measures in place to respond to what crisis may result from tension in the Middle East),\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Reports showed that global oil prices climbed by more than 4 percent after the airstrike at Baghdad airport.<\/p>\n

The US attack on Jan. 3 killed top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, prompting Iran\u2019s government to express moves to retaliate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MANILA\u00a0— President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called on Congress to prepare a \u201cstandby fund\u201d that could be used for the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":240320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-241491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-news-ph","mauthors-azer-parrocha","mauthors-philippine-news-agency"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241491"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":241493,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241491\/revisions\/241493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}