Senator Imee Marcos and the leaders of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and National Bureau of Investigation are worried about “sleepers” or terrorist agents who may be among the refugees from Afghanistan that the United States is asking the Philippines to temporarily shelter in the country.
In a Senate hearing, Sen. Marcos first asked NBI Deputy Director Jose Justo Yap about the agency’s position that it was “highly probable” there were “sleepers” among the Afghan refugees endorsed by the US, and that their presence in the country could make the Philippines a “target for Taliban and splinter groups.”
“I think the apprehension that we noted is that they may have sympathizers from the Southern Philippines, from our Muslim brothers. So that is a possibility, madam chair,” Yap told the Senate panel.
NICA Director General Ricardo de Leon echoed the NBI position, saying the move could be used as propaganda by pro-Taliban or Al Qaeda groups and other sympathizers —even though the refugees are supposed to have worked for the US government.
“Our apprehension is about the sleepers, they could always be activated and have an impact as far as the revival of some activities in the south,” he said.
The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, on the other hand, did not seem concerned about the possibility of sleepers, but said these special immigrant visa (SIV) applicants might be a “target of an attack.”
This request is still being evaluated, the Palace said last night, after Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo’s statement that the request was made by US President Joe Biden during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s US visit in May.
Senator Marcos—the President’s sister—asked why the US was seeking to house the Afghan refugees, who are former US government employees, in the Philippines instead of bringing them directly to America.
“Doesn’t the fact that the US no longer wants to house these foreigners in safe havens within the territory of the US raise concerns for us? They are claiming that there will be very low risk in security, that highly vetted groups will be the only ones coming, and that the SIV is assured, and yet, they don’t want them,” Marcos said.
But Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said SIVs should be processed in other jurisdictions before they are allowed to enter the United States.
He said once their applications for special immigrant visas are accepted, they would go to the United States to work and live there.
“That’s how we understand the special immigrant visa works,” said Romualdez, who attended the hearing virtually from the US.
He also said the US proposal was not a secret—in response to Senator Marcos’ charge that there was a lack of transparency in the plan.
DFA chief Manalo said US President Biden had briefly raised the request for the Philippines to temporarily house Afghan refugees with President Marcos during the latter’s state visit.
“The (US) Secretary of State (Antony Blinken) directly raised this to me on a few occasions verbally and also in a letter… and in fact, President Biden also briefly raised the issue with President Marcos during the visit last May,” Manalo told a Senate hearing.
Manalo said the Department of Foreign Affairs received a concept note from the US government on Oct. 22, 2022 which indicated a “request” for the Philippine government to allow Afghans formally employed by the US government and their qualified dependents to temporarily stay in the Philippines to process their SIV applications with the US Embassy in Manila.
The DFA chief said after receiving the request, they launched informal consultations with the relevant Philippine agencies to study the concept note and assess the request.
Ma. Teresita Daza, DFA spokesperson, also confirmed that Manila is currently in talks with Washington on whether it would allow Afghan nationals to stay in the Philippines while waiting for their SIVs for eventual relocation to the United States.
Daza said the Philippine government has not yet entered nor finalized any agreement with the US on its request on behalf of the Afghan nationals.
“Consultations with relevant Philippine government agencies are ongoing,” Daza said.
Daza also said while the proposed arrangement is humanitarian in nature, “it will not involve the admission or hosting of Afghan refugees.”
Romualdez, who first received the request from Washington, earlier said the request would only be for Afghan nationals who worked for the US government and their families.
He said Manila would only be providing an area where Afghans could stay while waiting for their Special Immigrant Visas to the US cleared. Washington would cover the operational expenses and provide manpower to accommodate them, he added.
US and allied forces pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021 to end America’s longest war, launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Tens of thousands of Afghans fled their country in the chaotic evacuation of August 2021.
Many of those who had worked with the ousted Western-backed government arrived in the United States seeking resettlement under a special immigrant visa program.
But thousands were also left behind, waiting for their visas to be processed.
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers insist no harm will come to anyone who collaborated with Western powers or the former government and is encouraging those who have left to return and help rebuild the country. — With Vince Lopez and AFP