President Benigno Aquino on Monday ordered Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs officials to help repatriate Filipinos in Libya, where the situation remains "unstable" despite signs of an impending end of hostilities.
“The President has given the instructions to validate the situation and to see what else can be done to help the Filipinos who want to be repatriated," Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a press briefing in Malacañang.
"The President has asked for continuous updates on the situation in Libya," Valte said.
Acting DFA Secretary Antonio Rodriguez said he has received an advisory from the Philippine embassy in Libya that the situation there "might stabilize" in the next 24 hours.
"Baka di na kailangan magrepatriate if rebel forces will succeed in the next 24 hours," he said at a press briefing. "We will examine, we will wait and see before we make final conclusions on the uprising."
According to Rodriguez, Foreign Affairs undersecretary Rafael Seguis who is in Libya reported that gunshots have stopped in Tripoli "except for celebratory gunfire."
There is no movement of troops so far, Rodriguez reported.
Repatriation of Pinoys
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) earlier reserved at least 400 seats for Filipinos in strife-torn Libya who want to be repatriated to the Philippines, the DFA said on Monday.
Rodriguez noted that only 86 out of some 1,600 Filipinos in Libya have signified their intention to go home to the Philippines. They are are expected to board the IOM ferry to Alexandria "pero wala pa silang mga permit, they need clearance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
In a statement, the DFA said this contingency plan was a result of coordination between Seguis and Philippine Ambassador to Libya Alejandrino Vicente.
"Remain in the embassy"
Valte said the IOM earlier advised Philippine foreign affairs officials in Libya not to venture outside the embassy as rebel fighters were already inside Tripoli’s central Green Square.
“We have been advised by the IOM that our people in the embassy must remain in the embassy due to violence in the streets. We have been advised that it is highly, extremely unsafe for our people in the embassy to go out now to check the situation of our fellow Filipinos," Valte said.
Malacañang asked the Filipinos in Libya to stay where they were and contact the embassy before making any decision to move out of their homes or places of employment.
“We can’t say that we were able to anticipate it but prepared naman po tayo doon sa sitwasyon (sa Libya). We were able to respond quickly," said Valte.
Pinoys in Syria
Meanwhile, the Aquino government renewed its call to Filipino workers in Syria to return to the Philippines while the situation is not yet critical.
“Yung sa mga kababayan po natin na nasa Syria, the embassy is there and the DFA’s quick response team arrived over the weekend. They were deployed as quickly as possible and for those who need help, you can contact the embassy so they may extend the assistance that you require," Valte said.
The violence in Syria has prompted the DFA to raise the alert level to 3, which calls for voluntary repatriation.
"It's easier for other countries to do that (repatriation) but we have 17,000 mostly undocumented Filipinos there who are very vulnerable. So it’s not that simple," Rodriguez said.
"In the event of alert level four we have prepared air, land, and sea exit routes," he added. "Identified routes by bus is Beirut, Lebanon, Turkey and we have already coordinated with the Turkish government, and Jordan via Amman. Then by ferry is from Latakia and Tarquos we ship them to Malta or Crete. Relocation sites have been identified as well in six collection areas in preparation for evacuation."
Convincing employers
Meanwhile, DFA Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said the Philippine government has a negotiation team in Syria to convince employers to release Filipino workers.
Conejos said 90 percent of the Filipinos in Syria are undocumented.
Before the Philippine government can repatriate Filipinos, it has to pay for the workers' deployment cost, airfare of around 800 US dollars each, plus immigration fees, penalties and charges.
"You need an exit visa for them to return home and to get this, you need approval from the employer but you have to reimburse the deployment cost that they paid," Conejos said.
"The question is, do we have funding for all these? The answer is yes. We have $550,000 standby fund at the embassy and pag kulang we have ready funds from our Assistance to National Funds here at DFA," Conejos said.
"So far 190 OFWs have indicated their desire to be repatriated and on top of this, we have 58 OFWs in our embassy shelter and they are our priority, and 25 are in detention but we are negotiating that they also be repatriated," he added.
"In Damascus the activity is normal on the surface. But there is a strong palpable military presence in Latakia and in the Alepo-Latakia border and also in Hamah and Homs, it is normal on the surface but there is a strong undercurrent of unrest," Conejos said.
"You can feel the uncertainty in Syria as you go around and when you talk to the locals and our honorary consuls. It's important that we call on our OFWs to leave and tell them that it’s time to go," he said. - VVP/YA
