Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers on November 6th, 2025
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
.............................................................................................................................
Press Release
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers on November 6th, 2025
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and, following the devastating impacts of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which caused severe flooding, destruction, and tragic loss of life in the central provinces of the Republic of the Philippines, particularly in the province of Cebu, expressed its deepest sympathy and condolences to the Government and people of the Philippines.
Typhoon Kalmaegi struck the Philippines with winds over 180 km/h and heavy rain that led to flash floods and landslides. According to local authorities, the event resulted in more than 140 deaths, dozens of missing persons, and the destruction of vital infrastructure, including roads, bridges, power grids, and homes. It is estimated that around two million people have been affected, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
Following this disaster, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste had already issued an official statement expressing solidarity and condolences to the Government and people of the Republic of the Philippines. Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão sent a letter to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., expressing Timor-Leste's deep sorrow “at the scale of this tragedy and the hardship facing so many families who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods”, reaffirming that the Timorese nation “stands in solidarity with the Filipino people at this time of grief and recovery”. The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Government Spokesperson, Agio Pereira, also stressed that “the Philippines is currently facing a tragedy of immense proportions, and the people of Timor-Leste are not indifferent to this suffering”, highlighting Timor-Leste's readiness to “offer all possible support”.
Following the declaration of a state of national calamity by the President of the Philippines on November 6th and the subsequent appeal for international solidarity, the Council of Ministers approved the Government's draft resolution authorising, within the constitutional and legal framework, the participation of FALINTIL–Defence Forces of Timor-Leste (F-FDTL) in a humanitarian support and civil protection mission in the Republic of the Philippines.
The Government's decision is grounded in the international commitments undertaken by Timor-Leste under the framework of the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN), as well as the provisions of the National Defence Law and the Organic Statute of the F-FDTL, which grant legitimacy to the Armed Forces for participating in humanitarian and emergency missions, in collaboration with other countries and international organisations.
The Council of Ministers also decided to urgently commence constitutional and legal procedures for deploying the F-FDTL in the aforementioned mission, including preparing engagement rules, under the responsibility of the Minister of Defence, in accordance with Timor-Leste's international commitments and the Humanitarian and Emergency Support Strategy, approved in January 2025.
Under the National Defence Law, the deployment and commitment of the F-FDTL in peace support and humanitarian missions shall be determined by the Government and the President of the Republic, following consultation with the National Parliament and the Superior Council of Defence and Security. END
