The question has been raised since last year.
But it appears the Philippine government has yet to reach a decision on the request of the US government to temporarily host former Afghan supporters fleeing from the Taliban government.
It was in October last year when the United States requested the Philippines to receive the Afghans whose applications to enter the US are being processed.
What Washington is asking the Philippines is whether it could serve as the transition area for Afghan nationals displaced by their homeland’s conflict before they are resettled in the US.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously said this arrangement posed logistical and security issues.
But last month, President Marcos said the government was still consulting the US on whether or not to host the Afghan refugees: “We have made some progress but there’s still some major obstacles to us being able to do it, but we continue to consult with our friends in the US.”
The President, however, did not specify what these obstacles were.
“Well, we have not given ourselves a deadline. What we are talking about is that we’re trying to see what are the problems, what are the issues…we are trying to find ways to remedy those issues that we feel are something that we have to deal with.”
“I would like to manifest the Filipino instinct of hospitality, and many times have happened there have been situations around the world where there are refugees, but they were not accepted. We accept from anywhere. We are not forgotten by those we help. That is the attitude of the Filipino,” the President said.
But Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo had “raised concerns” about the US request to grant special immigration visas (SIVs) to the Afghans in several meetings.
It seems the majority of DFA officials were strongly against the proposal as it posed not only a security risk but a reputational one as well, since the Afghan applicants would have restricted freedom of movement.
At least two lawmakers, however, support the US proposal.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III has welcomed the move to provide sanctuary for distressed peoples from other countries, as the Philippines had done in the past.
“There is no problem with the nationality or origin of the refugees. The ‘who’ is not an issue. If they need a sanctuary then the Philippines can be a good one,” he said.
At the House of Representatives, Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said Filipinos commiserate with the Afghans who are suffering from the ongoing conflict in their Taliban-led country. “We understand that many Afghans are seeking refuge and we are open to the possibility of providing assistance to those who need it.”
They have a point there.
We hosted White Russians after the ouster of the Tsars, we hosted Jews fleeing the Nazis during World War II, we hosted Vietnamese refugees in the late 1970s to early 80s. So why can’t we do that now?