The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is closely monitoring ongoing developments in Syria “with concern,” urging all Filipinos there to “take the necessary precaution” and stay in touch with the Philippine Embassy in Damascus.
“The Philippines calls on all concerned parties to exercise restraint and refrain from further violence, to avert further casualties and deaths of civilians,” the DFA said in a statement posted on its official social media accounts on Sunday.
“We express concern regarding the situation of our Filipinos in Syria and advise them to take the necessary precautions and stay in contact with the Philippine Embassy in Damascus,” it added.
Syria is undergoing a regime change after a lightning offensive orchestrated by Islamist-led rebels declared the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s reign.
Several nations welcomed this development, hoping for positive changes in the lives of the Syrian people moving forward. Some countries, meanwhile, reacted with caution.