Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Thursday morning, March 3, said that Ukranians who will seek refuge in the Philippines will be accepted for humanitarian reasons.
“At the moment, no Ukrainian citizen has sought asylum in the Philippines,” Guevarra said.
“But should there be any, his/her application for refugee status will be evaluated in accordance with our laws and the recently signed executive order,” the secretary said.
Last Feb. 28, President Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) No. 163 that establishes the Inter-Agency Committee on the Protection of Refugees, Stateless Persons, and Asylum Seekers.
Guevarra, as justice secretary, has been designated chairperson of the committee, while Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the vice-chairperson.
Prior the signing of the EO 163, the DOJ already has the Refugees and Stateless Persons Unit (RSPPU) that evaluates qualifications of a foreigner who applies for refugee status in the Philippines.