APD | Duterte directs Armed Forces to prepare for possible evacuation of Filipino in Iran and Iraq

By APD writer Melo M. Acuña

The Philippine President Duterte met with Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, the newly-installed Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos, Jr. and the commanding generals of the Philippine Air Force and Philippine Army and the Flag-Officer-In-Command of the Philippine Navy Sunday afternoon to ensure the safety of Filipinos in the Middle East, particularly those in Iraq and Iran. The meeting took place at Malacanang Palace at the heart of the city.

In a statement released from the Department of National Defense, its Spokesperson Arsenio R. Andolong said President Duterte has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to prepare its air and naval assets to evacuate and “bring home our countrymen” should open hostilities erupt in the Middle East.

“There are 1,600 and 6,000 Filipinos in Iran and Iraq, respectively,” Andolong said.

Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported that aside from foreign remittances from the United States of America, a great portion of transmittals have come from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar in 2018.

Available data from the Department of Foreign Affairs revealed of the 10,353,514 permanent migrants, documented or temporary migrants and irregular and undocumented migrants worldwide in 2018, there were 2,184,511 Filipinos spread across 15 countries across the Middle East.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)