By Liza Soriano

Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman on Thursday said he would file a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for an immediate end to violence against innocent civilians, women, children, and the elderly in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

“I call on my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join calls for an end to the violence. I believe this august body can encourage governments including our own to take a strong position against the continued violence against innocent civilians caught in the crossfires of the conflict,” Hataman, former governor of the now-defunct ARMM, said.

“Saksi ang buong mundo sa mga epekto ng karahasan sa Israel-Hamas conflict lalong-lalo na ang mga namamatay at nasusugatang inosenteng sibilyan, pati ang mga bata, kababaihan at matatanda. Nananawagan tayo para sa pagtatapos ng gulong ito at pagtahak ng mas mapayapang paraan ng pagtugon sa ugat ng digmaan,” Hataman added.

The United Nations estimates the death toll from the war between the Israelis and Palestinians already reached 4,300 since the ongoing conflict reignited last Oct. 7 when Hamas suddenly attacked Israel.

Of the death toll, it was gathered that at least 1,300 Israelis were estimated to have died in the war and the Palestinians accordingly sustained around 3,000 casualties.

Hataman also said the resolution will also call for immediate and unimpeded access to international humanitarian agencies in the affected communities, especially in Gaza, to provide relief and medical care to civilians.

“This resolution will also urge the international community of nations to work collaboratively towards a permanent and peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Ang ating bansa ay naniniwala sa peaceful resolution ng conflict, at napatunayan na natin ito sa Bangsamoro,” the Basilan lawmaker explained.

“We call upon the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to return to the negotiating table to seek a just and lasting peace in the region. Madami nang inosenteng biktima ang nadadamay sa digmaan. Dalangin natin ay ‘wag na sanang tumaas ang bilang ng mga namamatay at nasusugatan,” he said.

The latest in the series of violence in Gaza is the bombing of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital, where hundreds died.

(ai/mnm)

By Liza Soriano

KABAYAN party-list Representative Ron Salo has proposed the immediate creation of a task force that will monitor and impose decisive action to ensure the safety and well-being of overseas Filipinos amid the war in Israel and Gaza.

This is in light of the escalating situation in Israel and Gaza and the reported capture of Filipino nationals by Hamas militants.

“With the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the risks it poses to our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipino nationals in the region, I have filed House Resolution No. 1369 urging the Executive Department to immediately create a crisis management and response task force for the assistance of our countrymen in Israel and Gaza,” the Kabayan party-list representative said.

“This task force, jointly led by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), will be mandated to closely monitor the evolving situation, ensure the safety of our Kabayans, and be fully prepared for any possible contingencies,” Salo, chairman of the committee on overseas workers affairs, added.

There are over 30,000 Filipinos in Israel as of December 2021, DFA spokesman Ma. Teresita Daza said, citing records of Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority.

“The Crisis Management and Response Task Force will work diligently to closely monitor the ongoing conflict and establish effective systems to track the whereabouts and conditions of Filipino nationals in the affected areas, providing around-the-clock updates and assistance as may be necessary,” Salo explained.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv reported that 20 of the 26 Filipinos who were abducted and kidnapped have been rescued.

To ensure a decisive, holistic, and coordinated response of the Philippine government, the members of the task force will include pertinent agencies, including the Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), National Intelligence and Coordinating Agency (NICA), and our dedicated diplomatic representatives led by the Philippine Ambassador to Israel and the Labor Attaché in Israel.

The House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, chaired by Rep.Salo, will also conduct a hearing tomorrow, 11 October 2023, at 1:30 PM on the matter.

This vital session will focus on the current situation of our overseas Filipinos in Israel amidst the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a comprehensive briefing on the efforts by key government agencies involved in ensuring the safety and well-being of Filipinos out there.

(ai/mnm)