Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 7) — Environment Secretary and Special Envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu said Tuesday that he has recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte a mandatory evacuation of Filipinos from Iraq.
Cimatu, who Duterte tasked to lead the possible evacuation of Filipinos from conflict areas areas in the region, said Tuesday that he suggested during the Cabinet meeting Monday evening to raise the alert level in Iraq from 3 — which means repatriation is only voluntary — to 4 — which means mandatory evacuation.
Asked for Duterte’s response to his proposal, Cimatu said the President allowed him to make any decision he felt to be necessary.
Cimatu, a former military chief of staff, also served as special envoy to the Middle East under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He helped repatriate Filipinos caught in the 2003 Iraq war and negotiate the release in 2004 of a kidnapped Filipino driver.
Cimatu said he plans to fly to Qatar within 24 to 48 hours.
“We have to move out immediately the Filipinos out of Iraq because I believe that this could be the target, initially, dito sa US facilities inside Baghdad. Almost the same area where the Iranian general was killed,” Cimatu told reporters.
Cimatu said they plan to evacuate Filipinos to Saudi Arabia using a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, which is currently in Malta.
Duterte told reporters Tuesday in Malacañang that he has ordered the Department of National Defense to study possible evacuation routes, while he has asked the Department of Finance to earmark funds for the possible evacuation of Filipinos in the Middle East.
Duterte had ordered top Philippine officials to travel to the Middle East and check the welfare of Filipinos in the region amid the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran.
He also directed Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Abdullah Mamao to head to Iran and Iraq on Tuesday to talk to their governments and deliver an urgent message to keep all Filipinos safe.
Philippine troops are already preparing to bring home Filipinos from the affected countries in the event conflict between US and Iran esclates. Tensions between the two countries are rising following Washington’s assassination of Tehran’s top general Qasem Soleimani.
A special working committee was also created to draw up measures for the repatriation of Filipinos. Included in the group are Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Interior Chief Eduardo Año, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddyboy Locsin, Labor Chief Silvestre Bello III, and Transportation head Arthur Tugade. Duterte instructed concerned government agencies to prepare for back up plans for those who will be displaced due to the conflict.
There are 1,006 registered Filipinos in Iran, who are mostly permanent residents with their family members, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. It added there are also 50 documented Filipino workers in the country. In Iraq, there are currently 1,190 documented and 450 undocumented Filipinos. Meanwhile, there are 237,615 Filipinos in Kuwait.
He added that the Philippines should move “physically” if any Filipinos is caught in the crossfire between the US and Iran, but declined to specify what that move could be. His spokesperson earlier said that Duterte would take the side of the US in case any Filipino gets hurt as a result of the rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
“Kung sabi mo may masaktan o may mga casualty, then I would not like it. Then I would have to rethink my position,” Duterte said without elaborating.
[Translation: If there would be any Filipino who would be hurt or would be among the casualties, then I would not like it. Then I would have to rethink my position.]
Cruise ship for OFWs?
“But in Iran, most of those Filpinos there are maried to Iranians. So uuwi ba ‘yun? Baka hindi uuwi [Will they come home? Maybe not,]” said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who chairs the special committee laying out emergency plans to bring home Filipinos from the Middle East.
The Philippine Embassy in Baghdad will have to check on who among the Filipinos are ready to come home.
Once the government gets a clearer picture on the number of Filipinos willing to come home, it can deploy its C-130 planes and Navy ships.
But if military assets would not be enough, officials are eyeing chartering at least two cruise ships.
The Philippine National Police said it beefing up security in the embassies of Iran, the United States and their allies in the country amid the escalating conflict between Washington and Tehran. Lorenzana has also ordered his men to be on alert to help secure US interests in the country.
CNN Philippines Senior Correspondent David Santos contributed to this report.
