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Senators air concern for Filipinos in Taiwan amid possible 'invasion'
Several senators expressed concern for the security of thousands of Filipinos in Taiwan amid China's military exercises around Taipei.
In a Viber message to reporters, Senator Joel Villanueva emphasized that the safety and security of Filipinos should always be the government’s “top priority.”
“We subscribe to the saying that ‘It is better to prepare than to repair.’ We agree with General (Romeo) Brawner, and we defer to his better judgement as head of the Armed Forces that is mandated to protect our people and the State. We are confident that our military is ready to defend our territory under any circumstance,” he said.
“We also call on the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers to always be ready and proactive in protecting our kababayans in Taiwan,” he added.
Closely monitor
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, for his part, urged the government to closely monitor the situation of around 300,000 Filipinos in Taipei.
(I think China was emboldened to do it in Taiwan because of what happened in Ukraine, so our top concern is the repatriation of our OFWs.)
“In an event na mangyayari yan, we should be ready. Meron na tayong intelligence, meron tayong information at alam na natin kung ano yung gagawin dahil mabilisan," he added.
(In the event that it will happen, we should be ready. We already have the intelligence and the information. We also know what we will do in case it escalates quickly.)
Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. echoed the concerns of his colleagues, saying the government should be ready "for any eventuality.”
“Kung kailangan i-repatriate ang ating mga kababayan doon, then that is what we will do. Dapat matiyak ang kaligtasan ng bawat isa sa ating mga kababayan na nasa Taiwan,” he said.
(If we need to repatriate our countrymen there, then that is what we will do. The safety of every Filipino in Taiwan should be ensured.)
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said the Armed Forces of the Philippines must clarify its statements pertaining to the situation in Taiwan.
“AFP chief should clarify why PH is concerned with the China-Taiwan issue. That it is all about the rescuing of the 100,000 plus Filipinos in Taiwan during a period of armed hostilities,” he said.
'Get ready'
Brawner on Tuesday told Filipino troops to get ready in case of an invasion of Taiwan as China launched military exercises around Taipei.
"Start planning for actions in case there is an invasion of Taiwan. So ie-extend na natin 'yung (We will extend our) sphere of operations natin because if something happens to Taiwan, inevitably we will be involved,” Brawner said.
Malacañang, however, has allayed concerns about the possible invasion of Taiwan.
''Sa aming pagtanto, hindi naman po dapat mabahala ang taumbayan patungkol po dito. Tama lamang po na magkaroon po siya ng reminder sa buong troops pati na din po sa taumbayan na we always should be prepared in all contingencies,'' Castro said.
(In our opinion, the people should not be worried as regards this issue. It's just correct that [General Brawner] would issue a reminder to our troops and also to the public that we should always be prepared for all contingencies.)
Asked about the repatriation measures in case this ''invasion'' will really happen, Castro ensured that the government is ready to assist Filipinos in Taiwan.
A Reuters report stated that China's military had launched military exercises code-named "Strait Thunder-2025A" in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, despite the objections of the government in Taipei.The Asian Superpower claimed that Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is a "separatist,'' with Lai saying that only Taiwan's people can decide their future, and rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
