Leave Iraq now, Binay tells Filipinos

Vice President Jejomar Binay INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday called on all Filipinos in Iraq, particularly overseas workers, to heed the mandatory evacuation order issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“Due to rapidly increasing tensions in Iraq, the DFA has raised Crisis Alert Level 4, which means mandatory repatriation for all Filipinos there. I call on our kababayan (compatriots) in Iraq to please proceed to the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad so that repatriation procedures can be initiated as soon as possible,” said Binay.

Binay, who is also the presidential adviser on OFW concerns, also called on recruitment agencies that have deployed OFWs in Iraq to assist in the repatriation of workers.

“Let us work together to bring our workers home safely and at the soonest possible time,” Binay said in his statement.

Under Crisis Alert Level 4, the Philippine government undertakes mandatory evacuation at its own expense.

There are about 900 Filipinos in Iraq, with about 154 in the Baghdad area and the rest in the Kurdistan region. Jerome Aning

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