The Senate overseas relations committee is about to carry an inquiry on Friday into the supposed request of the United States for the Philippine authorities to permit the admission and non permanent housing of overseas nationals from Afghanistan.
According to the discover supplied to the media on Wednesday, the Senate panel was supposed to carry an government assembly on Friday at 1:00 p.m. following the decision filed final week by its chairperson, Senator Imee Marcos, which seeks an inquiry into the matter.
But citing the “significance and urgency of the matter,” the Senate panel determined to carry a public listening to as a substitute of an government assembly.
The discover of listening to was launched barely per week after the submitting of the decision.
Citing info from sources, Marcos mentioned in her decision that the overseas nationals, who’re mentioned to be US supporters, will probably be transported immediately into the Philippines from Afghanistan.
Marcos expressed issues that agreeing to the US request will open the Philippines to “substantial risk” from “people who pose a risk to nationwide safety and public security.”
Marcos also questioned the supposed non-disclosure of the US request to the public.
Temporary Stay
Earlier in the day, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said there is no secret to the US proposal for the Philippine government to allow the entry and temporary housing of nationals from Afghanistan.
Romualdez, a cousin of Senator Marcos, also clarified that the US proposal “is being studied carefully” and that “all security angles are being reviewed.”
Romualdez explained that under the US request, Afghan nationals, who will be arriving in batches, will be staying temporarily in the country until such time their special immigrant visas are issued.
“They are not going to live here. This is not even a refugee issue, this is a processing issue,” Romualdez said.
Other concerns
Apart from Marcos, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III also questioned the request of the US.
Pimentel said housing the foreigners from Afghanistan was a “good humanitarian act on the part of the Philippines” however added that the query remained as regards the rationale behind the US’ request.
In an interview with reporters, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, a member of the Senate overseas relations panel, mentioned the Philippines should assist the Afghans if they’re certified however he’s involved as to the price of transporting them into the nation.
“Ang solely concern ko lang is value. Ang Afghan nasa Middle East yan tapos dadalhin dito sa atin so, yung gasolina lang papunta dito ay mas mahal. And then quantity 2, saan ipo-process, we do not know the way many individuals ang pinag-uusapan natin. Saan sila titira, bibigyan ba sila ng Visa, so might mga ganung logistical points that we’d like to consider,” he mentioned.
“Baka nga mas mura somewhere around the Middle East dahil hindi na dadalhin dito… Bakit hindi na lang Dubai ang lapit doon. Or anywhere in the Middle East na mas malapit,” he mentioned.
Gatchalian expressed help to any investigation into the matter so the senators can make clear the problem, together with the safety issues which have been raised.
“Kailangan nating malaman bakit dito gagawin sa Pilipinas? Bakit di magawa sa mas malapit na lugar? I think that’s the fundamental question that we need to answer first,” he mentioned. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
