“The Cabinet approved the Government’s draft resolution authorising, within the constitutional and legal framework, the participation of FALINTIL-Defence Forces of East Timor (F-FDTL) in a humanitarian support and civil protection mission in the Republic of the Philippines,” reads the press release.
The Government explains that the decision is based on the international commitments made by East Timor within the framework of the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as the provisions of the National Defence Law and the Organic Statute of the F-FDTL.
“The Cabinet also determined the urgent initiation of constitutional and legal procedures for the deployment of the F-FDTL in the aforementioned mission, including the preparation of engagement rules,” the statement said.
The Timorese National Defence Law stipulates that the engagement of defence forces in peace and humanitarian operations must be decided by the Government and the country’s president, after consulting with parliament and the Superior Council of Defence and Security.
The Timorese Government had already issued a statement today expressing solidarity with the Philippines and its willingness to provide all possible support. The President of the Philippines today declared a state of emergency in the country during a meeting with disaster response authorities to assess the consequences of the typhoon.
The decision allows the Philippine Government to release emergency funds more quickly and prevent food hoarding and price speculation. According to official data compiled today by the France-Presse (AFP) news agency, at least 142 people have died and 127 are missing in the wake of Kalmaegi.
Most of the victims drowned or were hit by debris following flash floods and landslides caused by Kalmaegi, which also destroyed homes and swept away vehicles, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy head of the Civil Defence Office, said on Wednesday.
The devastation caused by the typhoon affected nearly two million people and displaced more than 560,000 residents, including nearly 450,000 who were taken to emergency shelters, the Civil Defence reported. About 3,500 passengers were stranded in nearly a hundred ports due to the navigation ban.
As it passed through the centre of the Philippines, Kalmaegi brought winds of 130 kilometres per hour (km/h) and gusts of up to 180 km/h.
