Raffy Tulfo urges Pinoys in Iran, Israel: Leave crucial areas, prioritize safety
By Dhel Nazario
At A Glance
- Senator Raffy Tulfo is urging Filipinos in Iran and Israel to evacuate and leave crucial areas to ensure their safety after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised the alert level in the two countries to Alert Level 3, effective June 20, amid the escalating tensions.
Senator Raffy Tulfo is urging Filipinos in Iran and Israel to evacuate and leave crucial areas to ensure their safety.
Senator Raffy Tulfo (Senate PRIB photo)
Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, made the call after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised the alert level in Iran and Israel to Alert Level 3, effective June 20, amid the escalating tensions between the two countries.
The senator said that based on latest update given to him by Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac, 187 out of the 30,742 Filipinos in Israel have already requested to be repatriated.
The first batch of 26 individuals is scheduled to fly back to the Philippines this coming Monday.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Migration Affairs Eduardo De Vega, no more than 30 out of 1,180 Filipinos in Iran have expressed their desire to return to the Philippines. The government is currently processing their repatriation.
While this alert level does not yet mandate forced evacuation, and repatriation remains voluntary, Tulfo said Filipinos were strongly advised to move to a safer location or request repatriation for their safety and well-being.
false>false>The full force of our government is ready to assist you in returning to the country and starting anew, so I encourage you to coordinate with our officials and agencies, he said.
true>true>