MANILA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered to locate and ensure the safety of Filipino citizens in Iran after the United States and Israel announced a major military operation against Iran early Saturday.
“We have received reports of airstrikes which hit Iran. We are in the process of getting more information,” Marcos Jr. said in a social media post.
“In the meantime, the safety of Filipino citizens in Iran and in the Middle East is paramount,” he added.
READ: US, Israel launch strikes on Iran, Tehran hits back across region
The president said he has instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers “to take measures to determine their whereabouts in affected areas and to take immediate measures to ensure their safety.”
In a statement shared by Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro was quoted saying the Philippines is “concerned about the escalation of the situation in the Middle East region” and “calls on all parties to resort immediately to dialogue and negotiations to bring peace and stability to the region.”
The Philippine Embassies in Tehran, Iran, and Tel Aviv, Israel, are on full alert, as well as embassies in the GCC countries, which have a large number of Filipinos, according to the DFA.
’NO FILIPINOS AFFECTED OR HARMED’
The DFA has reported no Filipinos affected or harmed, Castro said, quoting Lazaro.
“The DFA has assured that Embassies stand ready to assist our nationals. We continue to advise Filipinos to stay in their homes or safe places and refrain from going out to public places at this time,” she added.
The United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes against targets in Iranian cities on Saturday, triggering explosions and columns of smoke in the capital, Tehran.
The attacks came after US President Donald Trump expressed frustration at Iran's stance in negotiations over its nuclear and missile programmes.
Trump said Washington's goal was "eliminating imminent threats" from Iran, and Israel's defence minister Israel Katz described the action as a "preventive strike."