Manila: The Philippine government has issued an urgent call to Filipinos in Libya to leave, as violence in the North African country is expected to worsen in the coming days.
Albert del Rosario, the secretary of department of foreign affairs, in a message to Filipinos during his recent trip to Tunisia, said it has become too dangerous to Filipinos to remain in Libya.
“This is DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario in Tunisia to urgently impart to all of our people that Libya has become an extremely volatile state where threats to your safety is nearing its highest. Seven Filipino workers have so far been abducted in the last weeks. I am here to impress upon you of the need to leave Libya as soon as possible to avoid the dangers we see ahead,” he said.
Del Rosario visited Tunisia last March 12 to 13 to review the steps the Philippine mission in Libya are taking with regards to the mandatory repatriation programme for Filipinos there.
There are currently some 4,200 Filipino workers remaining in Libya.
Some 3,000 of the more than 4,000 Filipinos who have been repatriated since the Philippine Government started implementing mandatory repatriation in June 2014 had exited Libya through the Tunisia route.
Del Rosario told the remaining Filipinos in Libya: “We will do our best to have the Department of Labour and Employment prioritise your being placed in a state that is safer. To keep safe, you must leave now.”
Although Libyan rebel groups had been tolerant of Filipinos in the past, the situation for them has taken a turn for the worse with the entry of the Daesh into the fray. The terrorist group reportedly count Filipinos as targets due to their predominantly Christian faith.
While in Tunis, Del Rosario also met with the Ambassadors of Austria, Bangladesh, and the Czech Republic. Along with Filipinos, nationals from these countries were among those abducted during an attack at the Al Ghani oilfield last March 6.
“The condition and whereabouts of the nine foreigners, including four Filipinos, remain unknown. The officials agreed to coordinate closely and create a crisis team to facilitate the search for their missing nationals,” Del Rosario said.
Three other Filipinos had been abducted in a separate attack.
The official also made calls to Filipino groups in Libya to personally encourage their members to join others who have already left the country. Del Rosario had met with 41 Filipinos who recently left Libya and are scheduled to fly out of Tunis to the Philippines soon.
The Filipino workers braved the dangers of working in an embattled country due to the lure of higher pay when compared to what they would receive if they work in the Philippines.
