Marcos: Ensure safety of Filipinos in Paris, Italy
Palace press officer Claire Castro said the Philippine government may implement repatriation of Filipinos who wish to return home if the situation worsens.
President Marcos has ordered concerned agencies to ensure the safety of all Filipinos living in France and Italy amid massive protests, riots and looting in the two neighboring countries.
“Whenever incidents of unrest occur, the President’s primary directive is to ensure that the needs of our fellow citizens in the affected areas are addressed,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said at a briefing on Monday, Oct. 19.
Castro said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac has been attending to the needs of Filipinos in Milan, Italy.
Castro added that the Philippine government may implement repatriation of Filipinos who wish to return home if the situation worsens.
“The President has directed the repatriation – should it become necessary – of our fellow Filipinos, who find themselves caught in such a situation,” she said.
Asked whether the government is prepared should similar incidents happen in the country due to rising prices of commodities, Castro said relevant agencies are doing everything possible to provide all forms of assistance to the people.
No Filipinos harmed
No Filipinos were harmed in the protests and unrest in France and Italy, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.
“Per the latest reports from the Philippine embassy in Paris and the Philippine consulate general in Milan, no Filipinos have been involved or harmed in the protests,” DFA spokesperson Analyn Ratonel said in a text message to reporters.
Filipinos in France were advised to stay calm, avoid protest areas and large gatherings and follow the instructions of local authorities.
34 OFWs arrive from Saudi
Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers said 34 overseas Filipino workers who were stranded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia arrived in the country on Monday via Qatar Airways flight QR 934.
According to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the first group of 34 OFWs to be repatriated to the Philippines traveled by land from Riyadh to Al Qassim Airport in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia before boarding Qatar Airways flight QR 1197 to Doha. – With Pia Lee-Brago
