The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and uncertainty in the West Philippine Sea has prompted Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso to call on the government to come up with contingency plans for Filipinos.
This includes the possible repatriation of more than 150,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan, should a crisis suddenly erupt in the island-state that China considers part of its territory.
Domagoso made the statement after he has received information Tuesday that Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has started distributing “People’s Survival and Evacuation Manual” to the different local government units in preparation for a “crisis” similar to what is happening in Ukraine.
“In the case of Taiwan, I am worried about our Filipino compatriots there. Because if there is an incident or crisis in the Taiwan Strait, our fellow OFWs, Filipinos who are 150,000 of them, will be immediately affected,” he said in an interview in Pilar, Bataan.
This was before the start of his motorcade going to Balanga City, where Domagoso paid a courtesy visit to Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos of the Diocese of Balanga.
Meanwhile, Domagoso on Wednesday said he is not keen on reviving the controversial Bataan Nuclear Power Plant if he becomes president due to safety and environmental risks, which could put people’s lives in danger.
“Well, I don’t think that the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant today is suitable for power generation. They have to permanently close it down. That’s gone, that’s not safe for people. That is not safe for the people of Bataan,” he said in Balanga.
The BNPP was built in 1976 during the time of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. The nuclear facility was the country’s first and only nuclear power plant, which cost the Filipino people a whopping $2.2-billion in foreign loans.
When Corazon Aquino became president in 1986, her administration decided not to operate it due to corruption and safety concerns, especially after the Chernobyl nuclear fallout in Russia that same year.
“Maybe, as soon as possible, useful or not, we can make a plan for possible evacuation for the safety of our Filipino compatriots in Taiwan whether there is a crisis or not. We are well prepared as the Boy Scout usually do. But still, we will pray that there will be no untoward incident (in Taiwan), but still we were all surprised about what happened to Ukraine and Russia,” he added.
The 47-year-old presidential candidate stressed that if he is elected president, he will draw up an evacuation plan using the seaports.
“I don’t know by air. But by sea it’s reachable, since Taiwan is only a few hundred kilometers away from the northernmost tip of the Philippines. So, it’s good that we can prepare,” he said.
“We know that during the war, the first thing left is the airport and port. How do we evacuate them (OFWs)? Do we think of the future? Because I can think of that to always prepare for the worst scenario. Because I want you to feel good,” Domagoso added.
Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan is currently in a heightened state of alert, nervous that China may try to take advantage of the situation to make a move on the island that is only separated from its powerful neighbor by the 180-kilometer-wide Taiwan Strait.
While moving the remaining Filipinos in Ukraine to safety is now of paramount concern, Moreno said it could be done with less complications, since Poland has assured Manila that it is ready to accept its affected citizens from Ukraine.
Besides claiming Taiwan as its own territory, China has also made sweeping claims over large parts of the South China Sea, which includes the Philippines’ Kalayaan Group of Islands (the northeastern section of the Spratly Islands) and Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).
In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, but China refused to accept the court’s authority.
In a press conference Monday, Domagoso pointed out that evacuating a large number of OFWs from Taiwan is a different matter altogether and fraught with lots of complications, making him prepare for the worst possible scenarios just in case.
“The world has many challenges, our environment has many challenges. On top of so many issues, we have a problem today. We have a neighboring country, what if there are problems there? Let’s be specific, Taiwan Strait. There was a crisis,” he told reporters at the headquarters of the Isko Moreno Domagoso for President in Intramuros, Manila last Monday.
“I am worried about the 180 remaining Filipinos in Ukraine. How can we save the 150,000 OFWs in Taiwan? Yan, I’m looking forward to that. First, how do I bring them home alive, safely. When it comes down to it, how can they work. And there are so many things we will face,” said the Manila city mayor.
Being still a candidate does not preclude him from sharing his thoughts to the people, he said. In fact, he sees it as his moral obligation to share to all Filipinos his fears and apprehensions on the matter.
“So, I think I have to share, I don’t want to spoil my personal understanding of the situation. It is our life and our children. So, I said, we have to tell the people. You have to know, you need to know, you deserve to know what’s gonna happen in the next month, years of our lives,” stressed Domagoso.
Preparing for worst-case scenarios and acting immediately on it is one of the leadership traits that Mayor Isko possesses that tided over the City of Manila from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the pandemic struck, Domagoso oversaw the building of the Luneta COVID-19 Field Hospital, and the procurement of life-saving anti-viral drugs, oxygen supply and necessary equipment.
Meanwhile, he also ensured the distribution of various social assistance to cushion the socio-economic impact of the pandemic to Manileňos, and this leadership trait is among his strongest points that he brings into the table as a candidate.
“There is so much uncertainty and we must be certain by choosing a leader who is also certain in life with certainty. That goes to everyone, that includes me. I just need to tell people,” he said.
“My point is to be proactive and diligent. So, I’m anticipating your feelings that let’s just take a closer look at who the types of leaders are reliable. I think it is my moral obligation to share with you my fears, my doubts, I might be wrong. Maybe when the day comes, maybe I’ll regret it, I’ll be in a trance, why haven’t I reminded people yet,” Domagoso added.
If elected president, he said he will address the perennial problems of poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality and social injustice in the country by focusing on providing the minimum basic needs of the people — housing, education, health care and jobs – through the efficient and prudent management of government resources. These form the main pillars of his 10-Point Bilis Kilos Economic Agenda.
Domagoso’s “Filipino First” foreign policy is part of his agenda to protect all Filipinos, here and all over the world. “While it is true, we recognize treaties and agreements, and I respect that, but first things first, Filipino first. Our countrymen first. Because that is the main job of a President,” he said.