The Department of National Defense (DND) is working closely with other government agencies to safeguard Filipinos in the Middle East amid the ongoing regional conflict, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said.
Teodoro clarified that while there is no direct military threat to the Philippines arising from developments in the Middle East, the government is taking proactive steps to ensure the welfare of overseas Filipinos.
“As chairperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, we are coordinating with the concerned departments to help ensure the safety of our countrymen in the Gulf,” he said.
The DND, through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, is assisting the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs in monitoring the situation and preparing contingency measures, including possible repatriation efforts if needed.
Philippine Air Force (PAF) Spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said the military is prepared to deploy its assets once a directive is issued, in coordination with various agencies.
“We are already undertaking the necessary preparedness at the onset of this news. We are ready to prepare our assets in case we need to repatriate our Filipino nationals. But we will be waiting for the signal,” the PAF official said.
Basco said mobility assets under the Air Mobility Command are being considered, particularly C-130 transport aircraft.
“For our air assets, most probably these will be our mobility platforms under the Air Mobility Command. Most likely, these would be C-130s. That’s part of our initial planning,” she said.
Meanwhile, Philippine Navy Spokesperson Capt. Marissa Martinez said naval vessels may also be deployed if necessary.
“Without going into details, all ships could be a sealift vessels. During the 2020 repatriation, we deployed our landing dock and a Del Pilar-class vessel,” Martinez said.
