The 21 Philippine officials who were stranded in Israel amid its ongoing conflict with Iran had already left the Middle East for Manila, Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos said Friday, June 20.

In an interview with State-run Radyo Pilipinas on Friday, June 20, the ambassador said the 21 officials who crossed the border to Jordan had already left the country on June 19 (Manila time).

“Last night, actually, napauwi na po namin yung (we already sent home the) 21 government officials. They took their return flight to the Philippines, we brought them to the airport, helped them check in, and we sent them off,” he said.

In addition to the 21 officials, three of the four Filipino tourists stranded in Israel and who crossed the border to Jordan had already been sent home. Two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who crossed to Jordan are waiting for the flight to the Philippines.

“They're just waiting for the return flights. Hindi ho talaga available all the flights right now (Not all flights are available right now),” Santos said.

“Despite the opening of the airspace, not all airlines are providing services at the moment,” he added.

Of the 21 officials, 17 attended an agricultural technology training that started on June 10 and was supposed to end on June 20. Two were congressmen, nine mayors, four vice mayors, and two regional directors. The other four were Department of Agriculture specialists on the dairy industry.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) called on Filipinos to unite in prayer as it expressed concern about the welfare of Filipinos in the Middle East as hostilities continued to escalate.

“As a nation, we should come together in prayer for the safety of our kababayans even as we hope for the expeditious and peaceful end to the conflict,” Vice President Sara Duterte said.

She urged Filipinos in the Middle East to stay vigilant amid the increasing tensions.

“Umiwas sa fake news, disinformation, at misinformation. Tiyaking nagmumula sa mapagkakatiwalaang media group ang mga impormasyon hinggil sa mga kasalukuyang pangyayari (Avoid misinformation. Make sure that your information comes from reliable media groups),” Duterte said.

“Pakinggan ang payo ng mga awtoridad para sa maayos na evacuation at iba pang mga importanteng hakbang para sa inyong kaligtasan (Heed the advice of authorities for orderly evacuation and other steps that aim to ensure your safety),” she added.

Vice President Duterte likewise called on Israel and Iran to “always uphold the norms that safeguard humanity during these challenging times.”