Filipinos in Tripoli advised to remain vigilant, stay indoors after suicide attack
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2018 09:09:21 +0000
THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) advised Filipinos in Tripoli to remain vigilant following a suicide attack at the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) that left at least three people dead and seven others injured.
Philippine Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Mardomel Melicor said three suicide bombers were involved in the attack that took place at around 10:30 a.m. (4:30 p.m. Manila time).
Melicor said that although no Filipino was reported to be among the casualties, he advised the more than 2,000 workers and their dependents in the Libyan capital to restrict their movement and stay indoors for the time being.
The DFA previously asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to allow more Filipinos working in Libya to go on vacation in the Philippines and return to their jobs there.
In a letter, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., requested Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd to endorse to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) his recommendation “to exempt” from the current deployment ban to Libya Filipino workers with valid and existing contracts. The proposed exemptions also cover those stranded in the Philippines after the DFA raised the alert level in Libya following the outbreak of violence in Tripoli in September. Filipinos who would be covered by the new exemptions must submit a copy of their employment contract, including their salary and benefits, and a letter from their employer or sponsor requesting their return and an undertaking guaranteeing their safety and security, the DFA said.
The DFA added that concerned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their next of kin were also required to submit a sworn statement acknowledging the risks involved in working in Libya and the limited capability of the Philippine embassy to assist them during emergencies.
The documents must be verified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Libya. BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
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