Four Filipinos have already returned home from Myanmar, while two others were left behind amid the escalating tensions there because of the insurgency against military rule, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
The seat for Myanmar delegation remains empty before the 26th ASEAN-China Summit at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta on Sept. 6, 2023. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / POOL / AFP)
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told GMA News that there were supposed to be six Filipinos to be sent home from Myanmar.
“Actually, anim dapat pero apat pa lang ang nakalikas. May dalawa pa na tinutulungan pa nating makalikas. ‘Yung apat ay nasa mabuting kalagayan na (it should have been six, but only four were evacuated. There are still two who we are helping to go home. The four are in good condition),” he said.
The official explained that the two other Filipinos cannot be evacuated because they are wanted in China for illegal activities that victimized Chinese nationals.
The Philippine government is currently looking to transport them first to Bangkok, from where they can catch a flight to Manila.
De Vega said the Filipinos who had to be repatriated from Myanmar were working in an area for which the Philippines has not issued a working authorization to because they were victims of human trafficking.
“‘Yung pwede lang makapunta ng Myanmar ‘yung mga dating nandon na sa Yangon saka few other places (Only those who were in Yangon and a few other places are allowed to go to Myanmar),” he explained.
“So, there’s at least two more. Babalitaan namin sa inyo kung kailan natulungan na nating makalabas (We will let you know if we were able to help them exit),” the official added.
President Marcos lamented that the conflict in Myanmar has been a difficult issue for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address and there was little progress toward a resolution.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week that he was “deeply concerned” about the conflict in Myanmar that already displaced 200,000 people.
Based on reports, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Arakan Army (AA) launched attacks last Oct. 27 on the military near the northern border with China.
This is the biggest challenge to the ruling military in Myanmar since it seized power from elected leaders in a 2021 coup.