ASEAN has called for an immediate cessation of violence in the Israel-Hamas crisis.
In a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of its 10 member countries, ASEAN strongly condemned the acts of violence in the region, which have resulted in the loss of life and injuries to civilians, including Filipino and Thai nationals.
The organization urged an immediate end to violence to prevent further human casualties and emphasized the importance of respecting International Humanitarian Law. They also called on all parties to facilitate safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian corridors.
Furthermore, ASEAN reaffirmed its support for a negotiated two-state solution, allowing Israelis and Palestinians to coexist in peace and security in line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
They stressed that this remains the most viable path to address the root causes of the conflict.
The organization also called on the international community to support the peace process to ensure long-lasting peace and stability in the region.
This statement comes amid a two-week-long escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, resulting in the loss of thousands of civilian lives, including children, medical personnel, and journalists. (ai/mnm)
By Liza Soriano
Senator Francis Tolentino said that the country needs to implement quality Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) taking a cue from the raging Israel-Hamas war but he made it a point that it’s about patriotism and not war pandering.
Tolentino said that in the most recent hostilities in Gaza, Israel mobilized their 300,000 ROTC reservists in the war against Hamas.
“Siguro, mas ano, mas naha-highlight ‘yung need for a quality ROTC program. Kasi kung makikita mo ‘yung sa Israel 300,000 ‘yung minobilize na ROTC reservists nila,” the senator said.
However, the lawmaker emphasized that he is not war pandering, rather it is to prepare the youth for them to imbibe a deeper meaning of patriotism.
“It’s not about war. It’s about patriotism,” Tolentino said.
Following the simultaneous strikes by Hamas on October 7 that resulted in more than 1,000 fatalities, the Israeli military had claimed it called up to 300,000 reservists.
The Senate’s measure mandating the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps for students in technical-vocational and higher education institutions is currently up for discussion in the full Senate.
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By Liezelle Soriano
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Thursday that another Filipino was killed in an attack by the militant group Hamas in Israel.
However, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo did not disclose the name of the fourth victim as a solemn plea by the family not to reveal the identity of the victim.
“Out of respect for the wishes of the family, we shall be withholding details on the identity of the victim. But we have assured the family of the government’s full support and assistance,” Manalo said in a post.
In a radio interview on Thursday, DFA Undersecretary Ed de Vega said that the fourth Filipino victim in Israel was a caregiver.
He was one of the three Filipinos who were reported missing when Hamas attacked on October 7 from Gaza.
The other three Filipinos who died in the Hamas attack were Angeline Aguirre, a nurse; Paul Vincent Castelvi, a caregiver, and Loreta Alacre, who was also a caregiver.
About 30,000 Filipinos are working in Israel, mostly caregivers and nurses.
An estimated 135 Filipinos are believed to be trapped in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. (ai/mnm)
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.
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By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senator Raffy Tulfo on Thursday made a commitment that he would provide assistance to the affected Filipinos in the Israel-Hamas war.
Tulfo met with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs along with some lawmakers at the DFA Central Office to discuss the current situation of Filipinos in Israel.
Among those who attended the meeting were DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo, Usec. Eduardo de Vega of Migrant Workers Affairs, Usec. Maria Theresa Lazaro of Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs, Asec. Mardomel Melicor of the Middle East and African Affairs, Pampanga Second District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, OFW Partylist Marissa Rep. “Del Mar” Magsino, KABAYAN Partylist Rep. Ron Salo and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro.
Ambassador to Israel Pedro Laylo Jr., Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat, Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos, Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago, and Charge d’affaires to Syria John Reyes also joined the meeting virtually.
“Patuloy pa rin ang close monitoring sa mga Filipino community sa mga lugar na apektado ng giyera kabilang na ang Israel, Gaza at West bank pati ang mga kalapit na bansa. May contingency plan na din ang gobyerno sakaling mas lumala ang sitwasyon sa rehiyon,” Tulfo said.
There were some OFWs who had already expressed their interest in returning to the Philippines due to the war in the said country.
Among these were the 16 OFWs, along with one infant, who arrived on October 18 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. They were welcomed by Tulfo at the airport.
“Gagawin ang lahat ng gobyerno para masigurong ligtas at maayos na makakabalik ang mga OFW dito sa Pilipinas. May mga ayuda ring ibibigay para sa mga nakabalik na sa bansa at scholarship mula sa TESDA para sa kanilang mga anak,” he said
“Puspusan din na nagtratrabaho ang Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) at Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) para sa repatriation ng mga Pinoy sa Israel,” he added.
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In response to the dire situation in Gaza, Pope Francis made a plea for all parties involved to disarm during his weekly General Audience on October 18, 2023.
He expressed deep concern about the escalating crisis and emphasized the need to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
The Pope stressed that war doesn’t offer solutions but instead results in death, destruction, increased hatred, and a cycle of revenge.
He underscored the importance of choosing the path of peace.
These remarks followed a deadly airstrike on a Gaza hospital the previous day, which resulted in hundreds of casualties.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza had its origins in actions by both Hamas and the Israeli military. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to alleviate the suffering caused by the conflict.
The casualty figures stand at more than 3,300 Palestinians and over 1,400 people in Israel.
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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)
By Junex Doronio
DESPITE THE DECLARATION of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel is “at war” after Palestinian militants launched a surprise attack Saturday morning, there is still no evacuation plan for the estimated 27,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the US-backed Jewish state.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac said their agency is continuing to monitor the critical situation in Israel and accounting the OFWs, most especially in areas near the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian area governed by Hamas militants and blockaded by Israel and Egypt.
“Mayroon na tayong namo-monitor, ina-account natin na Pilipino, mga OFWs na nandoon. Patuloy lang ang effort natin. We are talking to many of them and mga relatives nila. Isa-isa nating naa-account sila,” Cacdac said when interviewed over Teleradyo Serbisyo.
“So far there are no reports of Filipino casualties,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said.
He added: “There are about 27K [Filipinos] in Israel but the vast majority are situated in places other than the Gaza area.”
Gaza is a Palestinian enclave on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza also disclosed that the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv received “unconfirmed reports” that some Filipinos working near the Israeli border were captured on Saturday morning.
Maharlika NuMedia gathered that at least 300 people have died and thousands of others are wounded in Israel.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least 232 Palestinians have died and more than 1,600 are wounded in Gaza.
Israel launched air strikes on the territory while its forces clashed on the ground with Hamas fighters.
On the other hand, the Israeli foreign ministry claimed that more than 200 Israelis have been killed. (ai/mnm)