By Alec Go
The Philippine government said repatriation efforts are ongoing for Filipinos living in Ukraine as Russian military operations begin in Ukraine early Thursday (Feb. 24) following escalating tension.
In a statement, acting presidential spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the “safety of Filipinos in Ukraine remains foremost in the mind of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.”
“The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), is now conducting repatriation efforts of Filipinos living in Ukraine,” he said.
Ukraine has already imposed a state of emergency on Wednesday amid rising tension with Russia and threats of attack. Interfax Ukraine reported that Health Minister Viktor Liashko has said that clinics in the country will remain operational with a state of emergency.
After Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a “special operation” in eastern Ukraine for the protection of those “who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years,” several explosions have been reported in Kyiv.
DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said in a briefing Thursday afternoon that there are 181 Filipinos in Ukraine and “the great majority of whom are in Kyiv.”
She said six Filipinos have already arrived in the country on February 18, while four others “arranged for voluntary repatriation” will depart Thursday “if circumstances allow.” They are expected to land in the country on Friday.
“As [Foreign Affairs] Secretary Locsin said, our chief and singular concern is to take out of harm’s way our fellow Filipinos in Ukraine, bringing them to the nearest places of safety by the fastest possible way,” she said.
“We urge our kababayans in Ukraine not to panic, but exercise caution and mind their movement, to keep their vigilance, and to maintain communication with the Philippine Embassy in Lviv or the Consulate General in Kyiv should they need any assistance,” she added.
Arriola said the department in Manila and the rest of their posts in Europe are on standby “for any eventuality.”
Meanwhile, during the United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed to Putin to stop his troops “from attacking Ukraine.”
“Give peace a chance, too many people have already died,” he said.
In a statement, United States President Joe Biden said “President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” adding that Russia is responsible “for the death and destruction” of the attack.
“Tomorrow, I will meet with my G7 counterparts in the morning and then speak to the American people to announce the further consequences the United States and our Allies and partners will impose on Russia for this needless act of aggression against Ukraine and global peace and security,” he said. -rir
