Philippine passports (Photo from DFA website)
MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has slammed the idea of threatening overseas Filipinos of having their passports withheld to force them to participate in government programs.
Locsin made the statement after Alert Level IV was raised in Tripoli and nearby districts amid the escalating violence in and around the Libyan capital.
While Alert Level IV entails mandatory repatriation, Locsin has been vocal that the final decision to return home is still in the hands of the Filipinos themselves.
“Any suggestion to COMPEL OFWs to join any government program by threatening to withhold their passports (which is my exclusive authority) is illegal and I will stop it. Period,” Locsin said in a tweet Saturday.
“I will do worse than fornicate dry the official’s ears. Do not even approach me,” he added.
Any suggestion to COMPEL OFWs to join any government program by threatening to withhold their passports (which is my exclusive authority) is illegal and I will stop it. Period. I will do worse than fornicate dry the official’s ears. Do not even approach me.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 4, 2019
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised the alert level in Tripoli and nearby areas “due to increased threats to the safety and security of the more than 1,000 Filipinos who are still there.”
Chargé d’Affaires Elmer Cato said the number of Filipinos repatriated from the strife-torn country has come to 40.
The latest batch of repatriated Filipinos arrived in Manila on Saturday with the assistance of DFA’s rapid response team.
The latest repatriates from Libya have just landed in Manila. The six Filipinos, who were evacuated from Tripoli by @PhinLibya a few days ago, arrived with members of the Rapid Response Teams from @DFAPHL. @teddyboylocsin pic.twitter.com/ndijSiGLig
— Elmer G Cato (@elmer_cato) May 3, 2019
Cato said two Filipinos in Libya had sustained injuries due to rocket attacks in Tripoli. /cbb