The Philippines expressed concern over the “developments” in the Middle East as the United States blasted three Iranian nuclear sites, urging the concerned parties to avoid further escalation of the conflict.

“The Philippines is greatly concerned over the developments in the Middle East in these last few hours,” the statement said on Sunday night, June 22.

“We strongly urge concerned parties to take the path of diplomacy and avoid further escalation of this conflict that could threaten regional and international peace and security.”

The DFA emphasized that “the welfare and safety” of Filipinos in the region remains to be the “primordial concern” of the Philippines government, who assured that it “will relentlessly continue to advance and prioritize their protection.”

“The Philippine Embassies in the region stand ready to provide necessary assistance to Filipinos in their jurisdictions. The Philippines continues to reiterate the need for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to this crisis,” the statement read.

The escalating tension between Israel and Iran that started after Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear sites last Friday is expected to intensify after US President Donald Trump said that US forces have conducted “very successful” strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

Iran has earlier warned the US against intervening in its ongoing clash with Israel, while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm over the “use of force” by the US against Iran.

Other countries and regional bloc, including the European Council, Russia, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, among others, also called out the escalation of conflict in the region.

Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos said during a Zoom press conference also on Sunday night that the raising of the alert level in both Iran and Israel will depend on the assessment of the embassies on the ground.

Crisis alert level 3, or voluntary repatriation, is currently raised in Iran and Israel.

“As you know, the safety of our nationals, their well-being, they're the primary concern of the Philippine government. And we are reacting to these developments to ensure that they are safe. We are taking the necessary preparations to ensure their safety, their well-being, despite the increasing tensions between Israel and Iran and now the recent attack of the United States on Iran,” the envoy said.

“As to whether to declare a higher alert level will depend on the assessment of our embassies on the ground in these respective two countries,” he added.

Santos shared that a total of five Filipino tourists have crossed the King Hussein Border in Jordan from Israel, and will be repatriated to the Philippines together with the 26 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Israel who were initially up for repatriation.
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According to the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv, there are now 253 Filipinos from Israel who signified interest to go back to the Philippines, while there are two OFWs who wanted to be repatriated from Iran.

There are 30,000 Filipinos in Israel and 30 OFWs in Iran.

Santos maintained that the “important thing” for the embassy is work closely together “to ensure the safety of our nationals during this difficult time.”

“These are developments that go beyond us, because we are not direct parties to the conflict, but we are affected because of the presence of our nationals in the region. And it is our job, our primary duty, to ensure the safety,” the ambassador said.

“That is why we are working around the clock. We are working together under the one-country-team approach, under the whole-of-government approach, under the directive of the President, under the Bagong Pilipinas framework,” he added.

Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General Anthony Achilles Mandap stressed that the embassy’s “primary function” is to protect the safety and security of Filipinos there.

“But in the case of Israel, we rely chiefly on the security assessment of the Israeli government. So what is good for the Israeli citizens is also what is good for the Philippine community in terms of security,” the official said, adding that they heavily rely on Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Home Front Command by adopting their safety guidelines for the Filipino community in Israel.

“And that's also how we're able to give security advice to our nationals. What we advise is to seek shelter as soon as possible. Waste no time to increase your chances of survival,” Mandap furthered.

Santos chimed in that the embassy is not reactive but rather, it anticipates scenarios “where we take the necessary action to protect our nationals.”

“We just need to react to these developments. At the same time, ensure the safety of our nationals. So this is all I can tell you. We are reacting, but we are taking strong steps to fulfill our mandate in protecting our nationals during this very difficult time,” he added.