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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH gov't awaits for 'opportune time' to evacuate Filipinos from Kabul --- DFA

PH gov't awaits for 'opportune time' to evacuate Filipinos from Kabul --- DFA

Published Aug 19, 2021 03:02 pm

The Philippine Embassy in Islamabad has already advised the remaining Filipinos in Kabul to be ready to move “when the opportune time to leave arises” while coordination for a flight out of Afghanistan is being arranged, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

Scene at the Kabul airport on August 16, 2021, after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistan's 20-year war, as thousands of people mobbed the city's airport trying to flee the group's feared hardline brand of Islamist rule. (Wakil Kohsar / AFP)

This came after it was reported that a DFA-chartered plane was reportedly not given a clearance to land at the Hamad Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, pushing back the planned repatriation of about 132 Filipinos still remaining in Afghanistan.

“The Embassy in Islamabad is in touch with all Filipinos who have contact details, and everyone is advised to remain ready to move when opportunities to leave arise. PAL has not yet been able to fly to Afghanistan, but we are also coordinating with all flights allowed to fly out of Kabul,” DFA Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy Eduardo Meñez said.

However, Migration consultant Emmanuel Geslani, who is in touched with the Samahang Pinoys in Afghanistan (SPA), said the Filipinos were reportedly informed that their planned departure has been tentatively moved to “August 21 or earlier”.

Geslani claimed that he received an email from SPA president Glenn Gumpal informing him about the advisory on the new evacuation schedule purportedly relayed to them by Vice Consul Erwin Magporo of the Philippine Embassy in Pakistan.

Instead of a chartered aircraft, Geslani said one of the options laid down by the Philippine Embassy in Islamabad is reportedly to buy commercial airline tickets to fly the Filipinos out of Kabul to its neighboring country Pakistan this weekend.

From Islamabad, a Philippine Airlines chartered plane was supposed to fly the distressed overseas Filipinos back to Manila, reportedly along with “some Afghanistan nationals who want to seek asylum in the country”.

Quoting his email communications with the SPA leader in Kabul, Geslani said most of the Filipinos there are now in a “safe place” waiting for their repatriation flight.

Related Tags

Evacuation kabul repatriation flight DFA Hamad Kharzai International Airport OFWs AFGHANISTAN
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