Umapela ang Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) sa mga Pilipinong may kamag-anak na nagta-trabaho sa Libya na kumbinsihan ang mga itong umuwi ng bansa dahil sa mas lumala pa raw na sitwasyon doon dahil sa civil war.
Ikinabahala ni DFA Usec. Elmer Cato ang kaso ng isang Pinoy na nasugatan kamakailan matapos ang rocket sa isang bahagi ng Tripoli kung saan maraming Pilipino umano ang nakatira.
“(Last) Tuesday, we had that rocket attack on a neighborhood in Tripoli where more than 200 Filipinos are residing. One Filipino was wounded. On Wednesday, mortars struck a hospital with 18 Filipinos in the outskirts where heavy fighting is taking place. On Friday, six Filipinos were trapped in fighting in their neighborhood in Tripoli,” ani Cato sa isang statement.
“Despite all our efforts, we just could not convince them to take our offer to bring them home while we still can. We want to bring our kababayan home alive,” dagdag pa nito.
Kamakailan nang simulan ng DFA ang evacuation sa mga Pinoy na nasa Tripoli, kung saan dinala ang mga ito kalapit na bansang Tunisia.
Kabilang umano sa mga naunang nailayong Pilipino ang ilang nurse at estudyante.
“We will continue to go where they are, call them, and engage them online. We were at the St. Francis Church yesterday to talk to them but still our kababayan would rather stay.”
“We have received 22 requests so far, including the seven we repatriated a few days ago who have already arrived in Manila. We have received some queries from other Filipinos but they are still undecided.”
