JEDDAH, 8 November 2003 — Filipinos who were in Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Gulf war are qualified to apply for compensation only for physical injury or property losses and damages that were directly related to Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait.
The Philippine Claims and Compensation Committee Secretariat (PCCCS) has issued this statement to clarify persistent questions about who should file a claim.
The statement, released through the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah, said the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) allowed for “late file claims,” referring to those who were affected by the Gulf war in Kuwait and Iraq but who had failed to file their claims within the Jan. 1, 1996, deadline.
Under the UNCC Resolution, only those individuals who were forced to leave Iraq and Kuwait were entitled to apply for compensation under category “A” (Departure Claim),” said the committee’s statement.
It said those who were in Saudi Arabia at the time of the war may only file a claim for physical injury or property losses and damages that were directly related to Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait. Such claims, classified as category “C” must be substantiated by evidence of such loss.
The committee said the Philippine government, acting on the appeal of OFWs who were compelled to leave their place of work at the time of the war, did ask the UNCC to include them.
It said the UNCC “remained firm in excluding Saudi Arabia as indicated in its previous decisions.”
The PCCCS could be reached at telephone Nos. 00632-5263356 or 00632-5263378.