By Liza Soriano
SENATORS have called on all concerned government agencies to ensure the protection of the Filipinos in Israel after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched a deadly attack last Saturday.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Grace Poe have condemned the violence made in Israel.
“We call upon the Department of Migrant Workers, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and other Philippine government agencies to secure our overseas Filipinos and ensure safe passage if necessary,” Zubiri said.
“We urge the full utilization of the Assistance to Nationals Fund for this purpose. I pray for all who are affected by this conflict- particularly the thousands of our Filipino brothers and sisters. May the LORD cover you all,” he added.
Poe, on her part, said that the safety of the Filipinos should be the top priority of the government.
“The safety of Filipinos in conflict-stricken Israel is of primordial concern. Concerned government agencies must ensure that our kababayan, especially those living near the battle zones, are moved to secure shelters or halfway houses,” Poe said.
“Repatriation should be calibrated for those who want to go home while the borders are still open […] As we hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, we have to act with dispatch so that no Filipinos will be included in the count of casualties,” she added.
With rocket fire and the deployment of armed men into numerous Israeli communities, Hamas began its most significant strike on Israel in years on Saturday. Israel suffered at least 22 fatalities.
(ai/mnm)