Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 29) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government has yet to reach an agreement on whether the Philippines can take in Afghan nationals fleeing the taliban.
Marcos said he was “surprised” about news reports that stated the request was already granted.
“We are still looking exactly at how to make it work if we can,” he said during an ambush interview with reports on Thursday.
While the Philippines has a tradition of housing refugees, the president said that they have yet to iron out some issues on security, legal, and logistical issues.
Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez previously said that the Philippine government would not shell out a centavo if it agrees to assist the US in processing the special immigration visas for its former Afghan employees.
READ: Romualdez: US to shoulder costs, processing of its Afghan personnel to be housed in PH
“We are only going to be a transition area,” Marcos said, noting that the US government said less than a thousand Afghans would be accommodated if ever the Philippines agrees.
“They are Afghans who are being resettled primarily in the United States and we are going to be the third country, that is the proposal of the United States,” he said.
“We will continue to study,” he added. “Let’s see if there is a way we can do it without endangering the security of the Philippines.”
Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri confirmed that the proposal to house Afghans was also raised during his meeting with US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland last week.
Zubiri said he personally believes granting the US request “is the right thing to do” for humanitarian reasons. He said he will mention it to Senator Imee Marcos, who has expressed concerns about the proposal.
