Stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Afghanistan expressed fears that the Talibans would reach them as insurgents take control of the country’s capital.
Filipino Joseph Glenn Gumpal, a Filipino community leader in the capital of Kabul, said that the community is in constant communication with each other.
“Sa awa ng Diyos, ligtas kami at ang iniisip lang namin, ligtas kami at safe kami dahil hindi pa kami pinupuntahan. Ang kinatatakot namin, puntahan kami. Yun ang kinatatakot namin,” Gumpal said in an interview with Teleradyo.
Some 90 OFWs are calling on the government to mount more repatriation flights for them after the Taliban group seized nearly all of Afghanistan.
Ricardo Tacbad, an OFW still awaiting to be repatriated, told GMA News, “Hindi kami sure kung ano mangyari sa amin bukas. Habang, we are still alive and kicking, kumilos na po kayo. Kumilos na po kayo please.”
On Sunday, at least 32 Filipinos were repatriated and were brought to Doha, Qatar where they awaited their flight to the Philippines.
Filipinos in Afghanistan are asked to evacuate after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised Alert Level 4 over the country “due to worsening security situation.”
In an advisory, the DFA raised Alert Level 4 over Afghanistan, which means repatriation and evacuation of Filipinos in the country is mandatory.
“Alert Level 4 is raised when there is large-scale internal conflict or full-blown external attack. Under this Alert Level, the Philippine Government undertakes the mandatory evacuation of all Filipinos in the area,” the DFA said.
