Philippines willing to accept refugees from Afghanistan —Palace

Malacañang on Tuesday said the Philippines is willing to accept refugees fleeing Afghanistan after the war-torn country was taken over by the Taliban.

“Since time immemorial, the Philippines has had jurisprudence even before the convention on refugees welcoming asylum seekers,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a press briefing.

“Sabi nga po ng Korte Suprema [The Supreme Court has said it]... the Philippines will not hesitate to admit individuals fleeing their homelands because of fear of persecution,” he added.

The government earlier called on around 170 Filipinos in Afghanistan to avail of the repatriation efforts for their own safety.

Alert Level 4 is currently raised in Afghanistan, meaning evacuation is mandatory. It is the highest security warning given by the Philippines on countries that pose risks to Filipino travelers and workers due to armed conflict or disaster.

Chaotic scenes of people wanting to leave Afghanistan and swarming Kabul airport emerged after the Taliban, which has long history of committing violence against women and children and killing political opponents, defeated the Afghan government forces who offered little resistance.

Malacañang has yet to comment on whether the Duterte administration will recognize the Taliban-led Afghan government.  —KBK, GMA News