Biden ‘briefly raised’ request for Philippines to house Afghan refugees to Marcos during US state visit -Manalo By HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated News

United States President Joe Biden “briefly raised” their government’s request to temporarily house Afghan refugees in the Philippines with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during the latter’s state visit to the US last May, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. Manalo disclosed the information during a Senate inquiry on the matter on Friday. “The secretary of state directly raised this to me on a few occasions verbally and also in a letter…and in fact, President Biden also briefly raised the issue with President Marcos during the visit last May,” Manalo said. GMA News Online has reached out to the US Embassy to confirm Manalo’s statement but they have yet to respond as of posting time. During the Senate inquiry, Manalo said the Department of Foreign Affairs received a concept note from the US government last October 22, 2022 which indicated a “request” for the Philippine government to allow Afghans formally employed by the US government and their qualified dependents to temporarily stay in the Philippines to process their Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications with the US Embassy in Manila. After receiving the request, Manalo said they launched informal consultations with the relevant Philippine agencies in order to study the concept note and assess the request. The Senate foreign relations committee launched an investigation into the matter after its chairperson, Senator Imee Marcos, questioned why the US opted to house the Afghans in another country and not in their own country even though these individuals are “supporters of the US and possibly, even former employees of the US government or US companies.” Senator Marcos, the Philippine president’s older sister, said “there is a substantial risk that individuals who pose a threat to national security and public safety may be admitted into and housed in the country.” Earlier, US Embassy spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay told GMA News Online that the “Biden administration remains committed to the thousands of brave Afghans who stood side-by-side with the United States over the course of the past two decades” amid the Senate resolution seeking to inquire on the US request for Philippines to temporarily house Afghans while they process their SIVs. “We do not comment on ongoing diplomatic discussions. We refer you to the Government of the Philippines for further comment,” Gangopadhyay said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News

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