PAF commits air assets for Middle East repatriation
Published Jun 24, 2025 02:35 pm
Philippine Air Force (PAF) chief Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura speaks during a press conference at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on June 24, 2025. (Photo: Martin A. Sadongdong / MANILA BULLETIN)
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) committed on Tuesday, June 24, its air assets for the possible repatriation of distressed overseas Filipinos amid the escalating tension between Israel and Iran.
PAF Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura ordered the fleet’s C-295 and C-130 transport aircraft to be on standby in case the Commander in Chief, President Marcos Jr., calls the military to assist the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Migrant Workers in the government’s repatriation efforts.
“The Philippine Air Force had been involved in repatriation activities. We commit normally the C-130s and right now we have the C-295 platform. The C-130 will be, we will eventually make it available in case,” he said in a press conference at the PAF headquarters in Villamor Air Base, Pasay City.
The PAF chief said the repatriation is being coordinated at the department level involving the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“We will subscribe to whatever decisions they will have. But your Philippine Air Force will always be ready to be involved in the repatriation activities,” Cordura said.
Aside from aircraft, the PAF said it is also ready to deploy manpower to facilitate the safe exit of overseas Filipinos in the Middle East.
“We have specialized personnel in terms of CBRN [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear]. We can also deputize our technical, medical personnel in the repatriation activities,” Cordura noted.
Meanwhile, the AFP said it is focused on the repatriation efforts for now as it avoids speculation that the Philippines could be dragged into the tension due to the involvement of the United States.
US President Donald Trump announced that Washington bombed Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. In retaliation, Iran said it attacked a US military base in Qatar.
During the United States’ War on Terror in 2002, Washington used the Philippines for refueling stops during its bombing missions in Iraq to dismantle al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups following the 9/11 attacks.
But the AFP allayed public fears that Manila could be dragged into the Middle East mess due to the presence of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the country.
“At this point, our priority is to support the Philippine government's efforts to ensure the safety and possible repatriation of Filipinos in affected areas,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said.
The AFP said it was closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East.
“We are prepared for any contingencies. We are of course doing our mandate and our mission accordingly. And all of this, ang pinaka-focus natin is yung repatriation to make sure that ang mga kababayan natin will come home safe (our primary focus is the repatriation to make sure that our fellow countrymen will come home safe),” she added.