MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte wants a “standby fund” for the repatriation of Filipino workers in the Middle East in the event the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran erupts into conflict.
Duterte on Monday also urged Congress to hold a special session to tackle the situation in the Middle East.
“(Finance Secretary Carlos) Dominguez (III) says we have unlimited funds for that,” he said, referring to the evacuation.
“I suggest that Congress, even for about one or two days, discuss the problems, the ramifications,” the President said.
Oversight committee
He said he wanted the lawmakers to put the “billions” worth of standby funds in the hands of a committee that would have oversight on the evacuation and the lawmakers to install safeguards against corruption.
“I’m 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,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government’s economic managers are readying measures to ease any possible impact of the tensions between the United States and Iran on the Philippine economy.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the government might also consider the forced repatriation of Filipinos in the Middle East should the situation in the region worsen.
“(Socioeconomic Planning) Secretary (Ernesto) Pernia said they are monitoring that. They are looking at the possible effect this may have on us, and they are preparing for it,” Panelo said.
Being considered are alternative sources of fuel apart from the Middle East, as suggested by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III on Sunday.
Pimentel urged the Department of Energy to buy oil from Russia and other sources after oil prices rose sharply after the US killing of Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani in a drone attack in Baghdad on Friday.
“It’s possible. All kinds of measures that can help in the event of any crisis, that is on the table,” Panelo said, commenting on Pimentel’s suggestion.
Oil cartel
In the House of Representatives, opposition lawmakers on Monday called for drastic measures to free the Philippines “from the stranglehold of the oil cartel.”
Oil prices, according to Bayan Muna Representatives Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite and Eufemia Cullamat, “are bound to increase” as an offshoot of the rising tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement, they identified three steps to help lower oil prices in the long term: by regulating the downstream oil industry, providing for the centralized procurement of oil, and the government buyback of Petron Corp.
The Makabayan lawmakers said they had filed three measures proposing each of the three steps: House Bill Nos. 244, 4712 and 4711.
The group urged the House leadership to prioritize the bills “to shield Filipinos [against] the escalating oil price hikes.”
Iran has vowed to avenge the killing of Soleimani and US President Donald Trump has threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites if Tehran launches attacks on Americans. The threats have sent crude oil prices to a seven-month high.
DIESEL PRICES UP A worker adjusts the price of fuel at a gas station in Quezon City. Shell, Seaoil, Phoenix and PTT have announced an increase in diesel prices by 40 centavos per liter, but they will lower gasoline prices by 10 centavos starting 6 a.m. on Tuesday. —JAM STA. ROSA
As of this reporting on Monday, Pilipinas Shell, Seaoil Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum and PTT Philippines had announced that they would raise diesel prices by 40 centavos per liter, but would lower gasoline prices by 10 centavos per liter starting 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
Shell and Seaoil said they would also increase kerosene prices by 30 centavos per liter.
Evacuation
President Duterte met with military officials on Sunday and ordering them to prepare for a possible evacuation of Filipino workers in the Middle East.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that 1.26 million Filipinos are working in Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has warned Filipinos against traveling to Iraq for now. It asked Filipinos there to coordinate with the Philippine Embassy and their employers if the situation required their evacuation.
During Sunday night’s meeting, the President said he wanted all the military’s ships and planes to be used for the evacuation.
Panelo said the President wanted the migrants “pulled out of the Middle East once hostilities escalate.”—With reports from Ronnel W. Domingo and DJ Yap