PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday said there is no need yet for mandatory evacuation and repatriation of Filipinos in Iran or Israel despite continuing missile strikes between the two countries.
Marcos said government continues to leave the decision to each individual or family.
There are close to 2,000 Filipinos in Iran, mostly married to Iranians, and around 20,000 in Israel.
The president, in an ambush interview in Quezon City, was asked if mandatory repatriation will be ordered or if the alert would be raised to Level 4. “No, not yet,” he said.
Marcos said the government, through its embassies, is in contact with all Filipinos in the two countries and has advised them on what to do, including offers to evacuate them.
He also said the government continues to monitor the conflict. He said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has left for Jordan to oversee the provision of assistance of Filipinos in the two countries, including evacuation for those who would want to return home.
Marcos said a problem the closure of most airports but alternate routes have been found.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said 17 government officials stranded in Israel are expected to come home “in the coming days.”
In a radio interview, OWWA Administrator Patricia Caunan also said arrangements for their repatriation are ongoing.
Caunan said the same efforts are being exerted in bringing home 109 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel.
“We already have an operational plan to start their repatriation … We are just fixing their documents,” she said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said stranded officials will return to the country this weekend.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega said among those stuck in Israel after the latter closed its airspace are nine mayors, four vice mayors, two party-list representatives and two regional directors. Also stranded are four officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA).
House spokesman Princes Abante said no member of the outgoing 19th Congress is in Israel.
“I have no personal knowledge if there are some who are in transit or changed their itineraries, but according to the information that I have now, no member of the 19th Congress in in Israel now,” she said in mixed Filipino and English during a press conference.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco earlier said two House members have requested travel clearances for Israel but eventually canceled their travel plans because of the conflict.
De Vega said the stranded officials will travel via land to Jordan before heading back to Manila by weekend.
He declined to identify the officials.
Earlier, the Israeli Embassy in Manila said the Filipino officials were on a study visit and training program sponsored by MASHAV, the Israeli agency for international development corporation.
The Philippine Embassy in Israel said 17 of the Filipino officials attended an agricultural technology training that started on June 10 while the rest are dairy farm specialists of the DA.
The Israeli Embassy said it is coordinating with the Philippine government through the Department of Foreign Affairs in looking for possible exit routes for the Filipinos. – With Gerard Naval and Ashzel Hachero
