Palace tells 6,000 Filipinos in Egypt to restrict their movements

Malacañang has urged the over 6,000 Filipinos in Egypt to "restrict their movement" as turmoil continues to rock the African nation following the ouster of its president, Mohamed Mursi.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told GMA News Online Monday that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has raised Alert level 1 in Egypt to encourage Filipinos there to "avoid unnecessary travel."

"(Filipinos there) should continue to coordinate with our posts there," Valte said by phone. "I understand that there are still areas where the mass actions are held."

She was referring to the hundreds of thousands of supporters and opponents of Mursi who gathered in Cairo and Alexandria on Sunday, two days after similar gatherings led to nationwide clashes that claimed more than 30 lives.

Reuters report said the huge rallies, which began to thin out toward midnight, have been largely peaceful, but a military-backed plan to resolve the political crisis remained bogged down by infighting over who should be interim prime minister.

At least 6,569 Filipinos are currently in Egypt, mostly in Cairo and Alexandria, based on latest government records.

Valte said Filipinos should "restrict their movement," meaning that they travel only from their homes to schools and work places.

"(They) should be mindful of what is happening in their particular area to avoid places where there are mass actions," she said.

The Philippine government continues to monitor the situation of Filipinos in Egypt, Valte said, noting that they had not received any reports of Filipinos casualties there.

"The assessment is to keep the Alert level 1 in place. Seeing that the situation is fluid, the post is keeping its ears on the ground for any change in the situation," she said.

The DFA has already cautioned Filipinos to stay away from areas of protest amid renewed political unrest in the troubled state. — KBK/KG, GMA News

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

POPCOM, gagamit ng ‘digital platforms’ para pagtibayin ang mga ugnayang pampamilya

Selling of balikbayan boxes online part of deal between sender, firm —BOC By JOAHNA LEI CASILAO, GMA Integrated News

Dozens injured after train derails in Netherlands: emergency services --- Agence France-Presse