By ROY MABASA
The government yesterday raised the security alert for all Filipinos in Iraq to Alert Level 4 which calls for mandatory evacuation.
“Just to confirm some queries from media, as a result of the government’s coordination meetings on the situation in the Middle East in the past few days, the alert level in Iraq has been raised to Alert Level 4 calling for mandatory evacuation,” said Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Philippine Embassy in Baghdad has stepped up its efforts to reach out to all overseas Filipino workers in Iraq in response to orders from President Duterte to repatriate all OFWs from the Middle East country.
Embassy Charge d’ Affaires Jomar Sadie advised Filipinos in Iraq to “remain vigilant, exercise caution, and maintain situational awareness at all times” as tension continues to build up following last week’s killing of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Solemaini at the Baghdad International Airport.
“In view of the recent developments, the Filipinos in Iraq and the Kurdistan region of Iraq are assured that the Philippine government is prepared to repatriate any Filipino who may be affected or displaced by the ongoing crisis,” he said.
Affected Filipinos requesting repatriation or any other form of assistance may contact the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad. Filipinos are advised to remain vigilant, exercise caution, and maintain situational awareness at all times, Sadie added.
The DFA convened an inter-agency command conference yesterday to discuss the situation in Iraq and draw up emergency plans for OFWs in the Middle East in response to the President’s marching orders.
According to the DFA, the meeting was attended by representatives from the Office of the President, Department of National Defense, Office of the House Speaker, Armed Forces of the Philippines National Security Council, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Transportation, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and Office of Civil Defense.
