Philippines monitoring possible 'spillover' of Israel-Hamas conflict —DND

The Philippines is monitoring any possible spillover effects of the ongoing conflict in Israel, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Friday.

“We're monitoring possible spillover or copycat effects pero ngayon wala pa kaming nakikita,” DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. told reporters.

(We're monitoring possible spillover or copycat effects but we don't see one at the moment.)

“Anybody can copy whatever you know happened in the Middle East. Disruptors, let’s call that or extremists. Any country in any part of the world, even in Europe, is on high alert for the possible effects of this on their security situations,” he said.

“There have been ISIS spinoffs in France, in the UK. Terrorism is a possibility anywhere so I’m not confining it to any particular group,” he added.

Hamas militants carried out their deadliest attack in Israel's history on Saturday, when gunmen rampaged through Israeli towns, killing more than 1,000 people and taking scores of hostages to Gaza.

Israel has retaliated with air strikes on Gaza that have razed entire districts as it prepares for a possible ground offensive.

A Reuters report said the latest data from the Israeli military showed the death toll now 1,200, and more than 2,700 injured. Fatalities in the Gaza Strip increased to 1,200, and around 5,600 wounded, Palestinian media reported, citing Gaza's health ministry.

Meanwhile, Teodoro said the DND is ready to provide assistance in the country’s repatriation efforts for Filipinos caught in the middle of war-torn territory.

“We are ready, willing, and able to facilitate repatriation. That’s the duty of not only the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] but also the OCD [Office of Civil Defense] actually, the NDRRMC [National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council],” he said.

Israel is home to at least 30,000 workers from the Philippines, most of them caregivers, including 167 Filipinos who are in the Gaza Strip.

On Thursday, the Philippines placed Gaza under Alert Level 3 amid the ongoing reprisal strikes by Israel. Alert Level 3 means voluntary repatriation is in place.—LDF, GMA Integrated News