MANILA, Sept. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The Philippine government will senda delegation to Iraq to study the possibility of lifting a ban on deployment of Philippines workers there imposed after the kidnapping of a Philippine truck driver in July.

    Philippine Vice President Noli de Castro said on Sunday that a government inter-agency team has recommended the sending of a high-level delegation to Iraq to assess the security situation there.

    The members of such a delegation will include representatives form the Philippine Congress and the government, said de Castro.

    The Philippines imposed a ban on deployment of workers to Iraq after truck driver Angelo dela Cruz was kidnapped in July by Iraqi militants. This resulted in the pullout of Philippine military personnel from Iraq in exchange for his release.

    Officials said that some 1,800 Philippine workers with contracts from US military bases in Iraq are waiting to be allowed to return to the Middle East country, considered too dangerous to work now by the Philippine government.

    The government is now considering giving green light to 600 Philippine workers who are on vacation at home to go back to work in Iraq first, before completely lifting the ban, said de Castro.

    US troops in Iraq are deeply dependent on some 4,000 Philippine workers to deliver supplies to two large US military barracks in Iraq, Camp Victory and Camp Anaconda.

    US Ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone, who was former US ambassador in Baghdad, recently appealed to Manila to lift the ban and promised that the United States will provide security for Philippine workers. Enditem