Palace tells Filipinos in California to stay vigilant amid Iran retaliation threats
Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro (Betheena Unite)
Malacañang has urged Filipinos living in California to stay alert and remain vigilant over a possible retaliatory strike by Iran on the State.
This, after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informed police departments in California that Iran had attempted to launch unmanned aerial vehicles on unspecified targets in the state in February and warned of possible attacks in the future.
In a Palace press briefing, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government considers the safety of Filipinos overseas a top priority and vows to conduct repatriation operations if necessary.
Castro added that information coming from law enforcement agencies in the United States must be taken seriously.
“Kapag may mga ganiyan na impormasyon, kailangan din talagang maghanda ang ating bansa para sa ating mga kababayan (When there is information like that, our country really needs to prepare for the sake of our fellow Filipinos),” Castro said.
“Hindi ito puwedeng isawalang-bahala o tulugan; kailangan na maging alerto rin tayo kung ano’t anuman ang mangyayari sa ating mga kababayan sa California (This cannot be ignored or taken lightly. We also need to stay alert for whatever might happen to our fellow Filipinos in California),” she added.
The conflict in the Middle East has affected global oil supply, as well as international shipping and air travel.
As of March 11, 2026, more than 110 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and their dependents have been repatriated, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).