Cimatu recommends immediate evacuation of Filipinos in Iraq

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Tuesday said that Filipinos in Iraq should be immediately evacuated due to tensions in the region following the death of top Iranian military general Qassem Soleimani due to a US airstrike in Baghdad.

"We have to move out immediately Filipinos out of Iraq. Because I believe that this could be the target, initially, dito sa US facilities inside Baghdad. Almost the same area where the Iranian general was killed," Cimatu said at a media briefing.

"They were estimating about a thousand [Filipinos], will check, kasi marami pa hindi counted. So, we'll check, really. But I have already made some recommendations last night that we'll have to inform the embassy there to move out," he added.

Cimatu was earlier tasked by President Rodrigo Duterte to fly to the Middle East immediately to establish coordination with Iraq and Iran and lay the groundwork for the evacuation. Cimatu had been Duterte's special envoy to the Middle East prior to being named DENR chief.

DENR Secretary and Special Envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu says he recommended to the President last night an immediate evacuation of Filipinos in Iraq. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/cBe2jiP7ug

— Victoria Tulad (@victoriatulad) January 7, 2020

According to Cimatu, plans are already being made for the evacuation, adding that he has also recommended the alert level in Iraq to be raised to four from alert level three.

"The highest level of alert in Iraq as of yesterday [Monday] was three. Level three, meaning voluntary repatriation. So, I recommended an upgrade already by last night for a level four, to move out," he said.

Despite earlier saying that the killing of Soleimani had no direct effect on the Philippines, the Department of National Defense on Sunday said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines has been tasked to prepare its assets to evacuate Filipinos living in Iran and Iraq.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said the government is already checking how many Filipinos in the Middle East prefer to come home amid the tensions in the region.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Sunday gave the assurance that migrant Filipino workers in Iran and Iraq who may be repatriated due to the rising tensions with the US will get benefits once they return home.

Soleimani was killed by a US strike at Baghdad’s international airport on January 3, leading Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to vow "severe revenge."

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump threatened "major retaliation" Sunday if Iran avenges the killing and warned of massive economic sanctions against ally Iraq if the country expels US troops based there. — Joahna Lei Casilao/RSJ/MDM, GMA News