By Roy Mabasa
The Philippine government on Friday condemned the recent missile and drone attacks directed against Saudi Arabia that targeted the Ministry of Defense and a military base in the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said, “The Philippines places utmost importance on the stability and security of the Gulf, and urges a halt to the repeated attacks and provocations.”
The DFA statement came amid government efforts to repatriate hundreds of displaced OFWs who were affected by the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
Saudi Arabia is home to an estimated 700,000 Filipino workers, the largest concentration of Filipinos in the region.
On June 23, the Saudi government said it had intercepted and destroyed missiles and drones fired from the neighboring country, Yemen.
Yemen's Houthi rebels admitted responsibility for the missile attacks in Riyadh and other cities near the Yemen-Saudi borders.
No damage or casualties were immediately reported.