Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday condemned the latest assassination incident in which the chief of Iraq's Governing Council was killedby a suicide car bomb in Baghdad.

"We join the international community in condemning in the strongest terms the assassination of the chief of the Iraq Governing Council," Arroyo said in a statement, referring to Ezzedine Salim killed Monday in a suicide car bombing.

"This has dealt another blow to the restoration of normalcy anddemocratic government in Iraq," she added.

"While it certainly raises concern over the situation in that part of the world, this recent attack also deepens our commitment to extend support and assistance to the Iraqi people at a time when they need it most," Arroyo said.

"In the meantime, we shall protect our nationals who opt to stay in Iraq and repatriate those who wish to come home," she added.

Arroyo has ordered the indefinite suspension of the deployment of Filipino workers who intend to work as drivers in volatile Iraqalthough she resisted opposition calls to bring home the small Philippine security contingent of 51 soldiers and police serving under the US-led occupation forces.

Likewise, she ordered all concerned government agencies to review periodically the security situation in Iraq "in the light of evolving political developments" in the war-torn country.

A total of three Filipinos were killed and several others wounded in Iraq in militant attacks, which prompted some fear-striken Filipinos to want to be sent home from the country, where an estimated 3,000 Filipino civilians are working.

Source: Xinhua