A Study on the Dynamics in the Policy-Making Process of Sending Philippine Troops to Humanitarian Missions

Abstract

This study seeks to answer the policy-making dynamics in sending Philippine troops to humanitarian missions. Specifically speaking—who are the main actors involved, what are the factors that affect or influence the policy-making process, and lastly, the role of the Philippine troops in the peacekeeping of the Persian Gulf War in 1991, and recently in the 2003 US-led War against international terrorism. The policymaking process of the Philippines in sending troops to humanitarian missions is greatly affected and molded by factors both domestic and international—constitutional framework, decision-makers, our country’s international relations, costs and benefits, and national interest. However, domestic factors are more considerably important in all of the factors listed. The objective of this research is to distinguish and establish the connection of the different factors mentioned above. Particularly to identify the main actors that are involved in the policy-making process of the Philippines in sending troops to missions, recognize the factors—both political and economic which led to the Philippine’s decision to send troops to humanitarian missions, and lastly, to assess the role that was played by the Philippines and the contingents it sent in both the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the 2003 US-led War on international terrorism. The flow of the policy-making process starts with these two ideas: internal setting and the external setting. These two ideas are then reviewed and assessed. Then after assessing both the internal and external setting of a nation, then it is now ready to evaluate the costs and benefits of the policy that is being planned to achieve. After evaluating the policy's costs and benefits, then the three 1deas—internal setting, external setting, together with the evaluated costs and benefits would then be scrutinized further by the policy or decision-makers. After it has been deeply analyzed, the decision/policy is now ready to be implemented and executed. The implementation and the execution of the policy, which has been made, would, in the process, affect both the internal setting and the external setting. The policy’s feedback on both the internal and external setting would be evaluated again of its costs and benefits and the flow or the process of the policy-making (but now, it’s reviewing and assessing the end product of the policy; and further enhancing the said policy) would again take place. Let us use the involvement of the Philippines in the 2003 US-led War against international terrorism as an example. The internal setting would be the Philippines’ domestic situation where there are also terrorist attacks; bomb threats in public places; the sentiment of the Filipino people against terrorist acts, against war, and others. The external setting in effect would be the US-led War against international terrorism itself, the Philippines’ membership in the United Nations Security Council, and Philippines' relations with US as well as with Iraq. The costs and the benefits would be for example: military and financial aid, financial expenses of the Philippine government, the threat of instability of the Philippine economy and the nation as well (it would be because of the protestors against war and violence). The policy or decision-makers are the following: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Philippine legislators with regards to the decision of the United Nations whether it is just for US to wage war against Iraq. And the policy implementation would be the sending of Philippine troops to Iraq to be in ally with the US in fighting against the international threat of terrorism.