Aquino orders Philippine embassy in Tripoli to oversee OFWs

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III has directed the Philippine embassy in Tripoli to see what it can do for Filipinos in Libya who earlier expressed interest to go home now that Libyan rebels have charged into the Libyan capital and the regime of Libyan leader Moamer Gadhafi was on the brink of falling, his deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said Monday,

Valte told reporters that the President gave the instructions as the government had been advised by the International Organization for Migration for Philippine embassy officials to also remain indoors because it was “extremely unsafe for our people in the embassy to go out now to check the situation of our fellow Filipinos.”

“The President has given the instructions to validate the situation and to see what else can be done for the Filipinos who want to be repatriated,” Valte said.

So far, she said that 86 Filipinos in Libya are asking to be repatriated. Most of Filipinos remaining in Libya are employed as nurses and medical workers.

Valte also asked Filipinos to contact the Philippine embassy in Tripoli before deciding to move out of their homes or workplaces.

She said Aquino has asked officials to keep him abreast of the developments in Libya.

Valte also said that while the Palace did not anticipate the latest development in Libya, it was prepared to deal with the situation.

“We were able to respond quickly,” Valte said, adding that Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis is now in Libya to oversee the situation.

This as Valte assured that the Department of Labor and Employment will assist Filipinos coming home from Libya.

Asked whether the Philippines will make a similar statement made by United States President Barack Obama where he recognized the Transitional National Council as the legitimate governing body in Libya, Valte said the Aquino administration was “at this point focusing on the rescue of the remaining Filipinos there.”