MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines will
be sending two battalions of soldiers, along with air and naval assets, to assist in the repatriation of Filipino workers in Iraq and Iran.
Tensions have escalated in the Middle East after the death of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani from a US drone strike at an international airport in Baghdad last week.
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Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana clarified that the two battalions — one from the army and one from the marines — will not engage in combat but will facilitate and assist in the repatriation of OFWs in Iraq.
The Philippine Embassy in Iraq has issued Alert Level 4, calling for evacuation or mandatory repatriation in the country.
"All Filipinos who want to go home, we will bring them home, especially those whose safety are in danger," Lorenzana said.
The Defense chief added that the government's priority is to evacuate Filipino workers in Iraq, Iran and Libya. While
Libya is not involved in the US-Iran conflict,
the country has also been caught between warring factions.
While the Department of National Defense and the AFP are plotting safe positions for the soldiers and assets, the Department of Foreign Affairs is negotiating their clearances.
The navy is ready to deploy two landing docks BRP Tarlac and BRP Davao del Sur, which can accommodate up to 500 people with luggage.
The military will also deploy one C-130 plane and one C-295 plane, according to Lorenzana.
Lorenzana added that the government may also lease cruise ships and commercial plan for repatriation, depending on the number of Filipinos who will
be evacuated.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment has come up with alternative plans for OFWs who will
be returning to the Philippines.
The DOLE has been talking with other countries such as China, Russia, Canada, Germany and Japan for
possible redeployment of OFWs from the Middle East. The agency is also working on livelihood programs for returning OFWs who wish to stay in the Philippines.
The estimated number of documented Filipinos in Iraq is at 1,600 while there are 1,000 in Iran.
Bello said there are
more than 2 million documented Filipinos in the entire Middle East. This number could
be doubled if undocumented
workers will be included. — Patricia Lourdes Viray