Anti-war activist protest in front of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 4, 2020. – Demonstrators are protesting the US drone attack which killed Iran’s Major General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq on January 3, a dramatic escalation in spiralling tensions between Iran and the US, which pledged to send thousands more troops to the region. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines—The government will consider forced repatriation of Filipinos in the Middle East if the tension between the United States and Iran blows up into war, Malacañang said Monday.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to prepare its assets for the possible repatriation of Filipino workers in the Middle East after the US launched an airstrike that killed Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani, in Iraq.
“Ang sinabi ni Presidente i-ready niyo lahat ‘yan kapag nag-escalate ‘yan e kailangan ipull out natin ang ating mga kababayan,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.
Based on the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, as of 2018, about 1.26 million OFWs are in the Middle East or West Asia , which included Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
As for the possible effect of the tension on oil prices, Panelo said the government’s economic managers are already looking at possible measures to mitigate its impact on the Philippines.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has already warned Filipinos against traveling to Iraq until further notice and asked Filipinos there to coordinate with the Philippine embassy and their employers in the event there is a need for mandatory evacuation.