MANILA, Philippines — The government of Israel has pledged to allow Filipinos to leave war-torn Gaza through the Rafah border crossing this weekend, the Philippine government said Friday.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a Palace briefing that Israeli President Isaac Herzog has permitted the exit of Filipinos from the strip by Friday or Saturday.
He said that Philippine Ambassador to Israel Pedro “Junie” Laylo, Jr. had met with Herzog and received a promise that Filipinos would be allowed to leave the strip.
READ: No plan B: Rafah border crossing is only way out of Gaza – DFA
“May pangako sila sa atin na maipapalabas na ang mga Pinoy by today or tomorrow, that is what they promised us, Saturday daw at the latest,” Marcos said.
(They have a promise to us that Filipinos will be allowed to exit by today or tomorrow, that is what they promised us, Saturday at the latest.)
The President said the Philippine Embassy in Cairo is ready to receive Filipinos who will be leaving Gaza as well as citizens and nationals of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member countries because the Philippines has offered such help to them.
FILE PHOTO: View of the Rafah border area from the Egyptian side, as aid groups await a decision for it to open, to enter the besieged Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt, October 16, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer
READ: Gaza escape: Two Filipino doctors exit via Rafah border crossing, DFA confirms
“Maraming Thai, mga Vietnamese, meron mga iba-iba, so sabi namin kung sino mauna magtulungan na lang tayo. And it looks like we are the ones there first because ang presence naman ng Pinoy in the area is much higher than the others,” Marcos said.
(There are many Thais, Vietnamese, there are different ones, so we said whoever goes first let’s just work together. And it looks like we are the ones there first because the presence of Filipinos in the area is much higher than the others.)
READ: DFA appeals to leaders of Israel, Egypt to allow safe exit of Filipinos in Gaza
Marcos likewise lamented: “It is unfortunately completely out of our hands. We have no control over this. It is between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”
The President also cited certain complications in the repatriation of Filipinos living in Gaza such as cases of Filipinos who had married Palestinians and remain undecided about leaving the strip because they do not want to leave their families behind.
READ: 2 Filipinos out, 134 more await exit from war-torn Gaza