The Department of National Defense (DND) is coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in case the government needs the military’s help in the repatriation of overseas Filipinos in Ukraine and North Korea.
DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Monday, March 14, that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine due to the invasion of Russia and the recent reported missile tests by North Korea “are being assessed for their possible direct and indirect effects on our security and economy.”
“The Department of National Defense takes cognizance of the volatile situation that may affect the safety of Filipinos in other countries,” Lorenzana said in a statement.
“We are in constant coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure our readiness to assist in possible repatriation operations should our assistance be required,” he added.
The national government has ordered the mandatory evacuation of all Filipinos in Ukraine due to the “rapidly deteriorating security situation” in the area.
Out of around 350 overseas Filipinos in Ukraine, a total of 225 individuals have already been escorted back home by the government through commercial flights as of Sunday, March 13, the DFA said.
The government expects that more Filipinos will be forced to come home after the DFA’s declaration of an Alert Level 4 in Ukraine. This means that overseas Filipinos are now mandated to evacuate from the European country.
Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson urged the government to prepare for the possible effects of the two missile tests conducted by North Korea last Feb. 26 and March 4 since it happened close to the Philippines and the situation was “quite unpredictable.”
“We join the rest of the international community in calling for peace and sobriety to prevail, and we remain hopeful that issues among concerned parties will be resolved peacefully and expeditiously,” Lorenzana said.