PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday said the government has yet to reach a final deal with Washington on the request of American President Joe Biden for the Philippines to host up to 1,000 Afghan nationals while their special immigrant visas (SIVs) are still being processed.
Biden made the request during Marcos’ visit to the US in May. The Afghan nationals are those who worked for US posts in Afghanistan and are still waiting for their visas to be issued.
The President, in a media interview after the launch of the Kanegosyo Center of Cebuana Lhuillier in Parañaque City, said the Philippines “in principle” wants to help the US but it must also consider a number of issues before it makes a final decision.
“Well, there are many issues involved in that question. That’s why I was a little surprised when I saw some of the news reports that there is a deal between the (PH and US). There’s no deal (yet). We’re still looking exactly at how to make it work, if we can,” he said.
He added: “It’s entirely possible that we will not find a way to make it happen.”
The President said Filipinos are naturally helpful and the country had even accommodated the Vietnam boat people and the German Jews in the past.
However, he said the government must consider various factors before it concedes to Biden’s request.
Among others, he said the Afghan nationals cannot be treated as refugees and would only use the Philippines as a transition area while waiting for their US visas.
He added another issue is what would happen and what would the Philippines do if there is a delay in the issuance or their request for SIV is denied.
Marcos also acknowledged security concerns raised by some sectors in allowing the Afghan nationals to enter the Philippines.
“There are security issues. Of course, we have to be conscious of that. But there are even more difficult legal and logistical issues because if the plan as it stands runs exactly as it’s planned, good, we have no problem. But what plan ever runs exactly as you had hoped? So, what we are trying to say is, what if something goes wrong?” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
“We’ll continue to study it and see if there is a way that we can do it without endangering the security of the Philippines. We’ll see if we can actually manage it and make sure that if things start to go not as planned, what can we do… So there’s still quite a few issues that we have to hammer out with the Americans,” Marcos said.
The President assured the public that whatever decision the government makes regarding the issue, “we have to make sure that it’s not something that will affect the lives of ordinary Filipinos.”
In a related development, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he is personally open “for humanitarian reasons” to allowing the Afghan national to temporarily stay in the country while their US special immigration visas are being processed.
Zubiri made the remark after several of his colleagues questioned the request of the US government to allow Afghans to momentarily stay in the country from 60 to 90 days pending the processing of their special visas.
Zubiri said the Afghans can stay in halfway houses similar to the those built by the US government in Qatar and Germany, also to serve the purpose.
Zubiri said the temporary shelters, the construction of which should be shouldered by the US government, can be used by the government as housing accommodation for the country’s homeless people.
“Ako, on a personal capacity as the Senate president, I think it is the right thing to do for humanitarian concerns. It is the right thing to do as humanely as possible. Hindi naman po sila lilipat dito sa ating bansa. Ang request lang ay parang halfway house na kung saan ang gagastos lahat ay ang Estado Unidos (They will not permanently stay here in our country. What they are requesting is some sort of halfway houses which will be built at the expense of the US),” Zubiri said during the Kapihan sa Senado.
Sen. Imee Marcos has resisted the idea of hosting the Afghans and has filed a resolution seeking for an investigation on the US government’s plan, which she alleged has been kept “secret” from the public.
But Zubiri said the plan should have really been kept from the public for the safety of the Afghans who want to flee their country for fear of the Talibans after the US pulled out their troops in Afghanistan.
He said there were reports that more than 200 Afghans were offloaded from a departing plane from their country to Pakistan and cannot be tracked now. He said time is of the essence since once the Talibans identify Afghans to be sympathetic to the US, they will surely be killed.
“When I went to the State Department, they asked me about it, kung puwede (if it is possible). I guess you know also the reason why they don’t want to come out with this out loud is because of the safety of the 20,000 Afghan refugees that are waiting there,” Zubiri said.
“Biurin mo kung ilalabas mo ‘yan sa international news that all these countries naglabas ng statement na ‘we will house the Afghan refugees,’ baka lalo silang barilin, baka ma-firing squad. So, that is why there is secrecy because there is safety involved in this (Imagine if they will make the plan come out in international news. The host countries will issue statements that ‘We will house Afghan refugees,’ they will be hunted down. So, that is why there is secrecy because their safety is involved in this),” he said.
He said the Philippines has welcomed Jewish people when World War 1 erupted, accommodated Vietnamese in Puerto Princesa City during the time of former President Marcos Sr., and the past administration has offered shelter to the Rohingya people.
Zubiri said the Afghans will just be confined in a particular area with the PNP and Bureau of Immigration on guard.
“Confined sila at babantayan ng ating mga taga Bureau of Immigrations na hindi ko alam kung palalabasin ng Bureau of Immigrations yun. Alam mo naman may mga raketeers din doon kaya kailangan mabantayan nang maayos (They will be confined and will be guarded by the Bureau of Immigrations but who knows, maybe they can be allowed to go out of their confines because there are some BI personnel who are raketeers that’s why they have to be strictly guarded),” he added.
Zubiri said the Department of Foreign Affairs should have explained the US government’s plan to avoid confusion and fear among senators.
He said the US chose Philippines as one of the host countries “because they consider us as a close friend and ally…So our country is known for humanitarian causes.” — With Raymond Africa
