DFA condoles with Bhutto’s family, advises Pinoys in Pakistan to stay indoors

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo expressed the Filipinos’ deepest condolences to the family of slain Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and the people of Pakistan.

“The Philippine government and people share the shock and sorrow off the Pakistani people and the international community over the tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto,” Romulo said in a statement.

Romulo said Bhutto’s name should be inscribed in history not only as the first female prime minister of a Muslim country, but also for the “transcendent and indomitable courage with which she worked for democracy and the welfare of the downtrodden.”

He said the Philippines hopes her supreme sacrifice and legacy will inspire the people of Pakistan to unite and overcome the challenges facing them.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) advised Filipinos in Pakistan to stay indoors and avoid demonstrations following the suicide bombing on Thursday that killed Bhutto and 20 other people.

Foreign Affairs Secretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. urged Filipinos to avoid huge gatherings and demonstrations.

Conejos said the situation in Pakistan is uncertain. DFA records showed that there are at least 3,000 Filipinos living in Pakistan, most of them professionals, skilled workers, domestic helpers, and those married to Pakistanis.

The Philippine Embassy in Pakistan also issued an advisory to Filipino community leaders in Karachi and Lahore.

Consul General Agnes Cervantes, of the  Philippine Consulate General in Pakistan, reported to the DFA that no Filipino was injured or killed in the suicide bombing.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said Bhutto was a “woman of great courage, intelligence and brilliance” and a visionary who co-founded the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) that has become an influential movement in Asia.

“Not only Pakistan and Asia, but the world lost a woman of great courage, intelligence and brilliance,” he said. “We lost a friend and a co-founder of what has become a major movement of Asian political parties.” – With Delon Porcalla