The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said an initial batch of 32 Filipino workers were evacuated from now Taliban-occupied Afghanistan, as 19 more are expected to leave anytime.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ed Meñez said the DFA is arranging the repatriation of the remaining Filipinos—said to be fewer than 130–still left in capital Kabul.
The immediate repatriation of Filipinos in Afghanistan is being undertaken after the Taliban seized Kabul and regained control of Afghanistan, 20 years after it was ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001.
About 98 Filipinos in Kabul are appealing to the Duterte government to bring them home.
According to a “24 Oras” TV report, 32 Pinoys were able to catch a flight that had already landed in Doha, Qatar.
Among the Filipinos remaining in Afghanistan is Ricardo Tacbad, who hopes to go home before it is too late for them.
“We are not sure about what will happen to us tomorrow. While we are still alive and kicking, please move now. I hope the government will move quickly,” Tacbad said in the report.
Another Filipino, Mark Suela, works as security for a hotel near Kabul airport. He said he is also worried, especially with videos circulating online of several residents wanting to flee the country.
Suela also shared a video he filmed where gunshots are heard near his area.
The DFA said it is “exploring all avenues of cooperation and are closely coordinating with governments and international partners” to assure the immediate and safe passage of Filipino evacuees.
“Last night, 32 Filipinos were evacuated and are now in Doha awaiting their confirmed flights to the Philippines. A group of 19 Filipinos are also set to leave immediately,” the department said.
Manila raised Alert Level 4, which calls for mandatory evacuation, for the whole of Afghanistan due to the uncertain security situation there.
Filipinos needing assistance were asked to immediately contact the Philippine Embassy in Pakistan or OFWHelp.
Malacañang on Monday urged Filipinos in Afghanistan to prepare for repatriation.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque urged Filipinos to coordinate with the Philippine embassy in Pakistan, which has jurisdiction over Afghanistan, to facilitate their repatriation.
Roque said he would leave it to the DFA to release a statement on matters concerning the entry of Taliban forces in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Sunday.
“I do not know what will be the decision of the government when it comes to the Taliban regime, but in the field of international law, recognition is not an element of statehood,” he said.
US and United Kingdom forces conducted air assault against Taliban forces in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon outside Washington DC by al-Qaeda. The terrorists trained, planned, and directed attacks from Afghanistan.
With the US decision to pull out all its troops from Afghanistan, Taliban fighters swiftly recaptured key cities in less than two weeks and the US-backed Afghan government collapsed.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, effectively collapsing the government, as chaos and fear gripped the capital and thousands tried to escape.
After entering Afghanistan’s abandoned presidential palace, heavily-armed Taliban fighters announced the group’s plans to rename the state as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
According to the Anadolu Agency report, a total of 64 countries signed a joint statement late Sunday calling for the safe and orderly departure of anyone who wants to leave Afghanistan.
Among the countries that signed the joint statement were Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.
Senator Francis Tolentino on Monday urged the Foreign Affairs and Labor departments to expedite the repatriation of the remaining Filipinos in Afghanistan to ensure their safety. With Macon Ramos-Araneta