By GENALYN KABILING
Filipinos staying in Iraq will be evacuated to a safe place, not necessarily back to the Philippines, following the escalation of the conflict between the United States and Iran, Malacañang announced yesterday.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Philippine ships have been readied to ferry the Filipinos to a safe country like Saudi Arabia for the meantime.
“As the President directed in the Cabinet meeting, we are preparing to evacuate and repatriate the Filipinos there out of harm’s way,” Panelo said.
“We have to place them in the safe place. Hindi naman sila kailangang umuwi, habang nagkakaroon ng giyera doon o digmaan. Siyempre hindi mo naman maii-uwi iyon talaga eh, hahanapan mo ng lugar na ligtas, malapit doon sa Iraq ba iyon, like sa Saudi Arabia,” he added.
The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier in the day raised the highest alert level in Iraq which requires evacuation of thousands of Filipinos there.
The evacuation of Filipinos came after the Iranian Revolutionary Guards launched a series of missiles on two Iraqi bases known to house US troops. It was the first Iranian retaliatory attack since the US killing of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week.
The President had earlier mobilized the military and other concerned agencies to prepare for the evacuation of Filipinos in the Middle East in case the US-Iran tension escalates into a full-blown war.
Panelo maintained that the government’s primary concern is the safety of Filipinos in the Middle East.
He admitted though the government cannot force Filipinos to leave if they refuse to leave Iraq at the moment. “With respect doon sa mga ayaw, eh papaano natin pipilitin iyon kung ayaw? We cannot forcibly drag them to a ship or to whatever to bring them out,” he said.
To Filipinos who want to leave Iraq, Panelo said he believes they would prefer to be placed in a safe place than come home.”If you will give them a choice between being placed in a safe place and coming home eh pipiliin nila iyong doon muna sa safe place,” he said.
