MANILA, 28 October 2004 — Alarmed by the continuing entry of Filipino workers to Iraq despite restrictions, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday said it is resorting to passport-stamping to enforce the deployment ban.
Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said the passports of Philippine citizens will be stamped with the “Not valid for travel to Iraq” notice in hopes of discouraging holders from going to the war-torn country.
“We better be cautious and careful. Listen to BBC and CNN and all the news outlets and you can see it’s not that safe,” he said, in answer to claims by those seeking jobs in Iraq that it is safe there.
Earlier this week, Romulo summoned the ambassador of Kuwait to ask why the Kuwaiti government has allowed Filipinos to go to Iraq despite a commitment it had made to Manila.
According to Ambassador Roy Cimatu, Philippine special envoy to the Middle East, the number of Filipino workers in Iraq is now 6,000, up from about 4,000 two months ago.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo imposed a ban on Filipino workers going to Iraq in July after Iraqi militants kidnapped a Filipino truck driver and demanded a pullout of the Philippine peacekeeping contingent in exchange for his freedom.
Arroyo withdrew the peacekeeping force and driver Angelo de la Cruz, who was sent to Iraq by his Saudi employer, was released.
Filipino workers desperate to work in Iraq, however, have refused to appreciate the government’s gesture to protect its citizens. In protest rallies, they demanded the lifting of the ban, saying they would rather take the risk in Iraq than die of starvation at home.
Citizens from other poor countries have also been attracted by the $800-a-month wage being offered for workers in American bases.
The amount is even higher than the salaries received by some Filipino professionals in Saudi Arabia and in other Gulf countries.
Romulo had earlier pleaded with Filipino workers to wait until January when the outcome of the Iraqi election is known. If the situation stabilizes, he said, the ban may be lifted. (Additional input from AP)
