Take safety precautions, RP tells Pinoys in Iran

MANILA, Philippines - Amid the continued tension over alleged electoral fraud in Iran, Philippine authorities advised Filipinos based there to take precautionary measures at home and at work.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday the Philippine Embassy in Tehran issued the advisory to Filipinos through Filipino community leaders there.

"The Embassy has issued an advisory to Filipinos in Iran, through the network of Filipino community organizations in the area, for them to take the necessary precautionary measures at home and at work to ensure that no harm will come their way. They were also advised to make themselves accessible at all times and to constantly coordinate with the Embassy to facilitate the exchange of information," the DFA said in a statement posted on its website.

It added the Philippine government is actively monitoring the ongoing political developments in Tehran.

Manila hopes that concerned parties would be able to explore ways toward a peaceful and amicable resolution to the crisis, the DFA said.

On the other hand, the DFA reiterated that the Philippine Embassy in Tehran is in touch with Filipinos in the area and is prepared to activate and carry out its contingency plan, "if needed."

It said there are some 1,500 Filipinos in Tehran, consisting mostly of spouses and children of Iranian nationals.

No evacuation yet

On Tuesday, DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya maintained there is still no need to evacuate Filipinos living there, at least for now.

"We don’t see the necessity as of this time, although ang ating embahada in constant communication with members of our Filipino community there. At lahat na embahada ng Pilipinas ay may contingency plans so just in case ina-activate yan. But right now we do not see any necessity for doing that," Malaya said in a radio interview Tuesday.

[We don’t see the need for it at this time but our embassy is in constant communication with the Filipino community there. All Philippine embassies have contingency plans that can be activated if the need arises. But right now we don’t see the need for it.]

Reports said protests in Iran followed alleged electoral fraud in the 2009 Iranian presidential election against and in support of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

Police and a paramilitary group called the Basij had violently suppressed the protests, firing into crowds and using batons, pepper spray, and other weapons.

Malaya said that if civil war breaks out in Iran, the DFA’s Office of Middle East and African Affairs is monitoring the situation and will take appropriate action.

It is in constant communication with Ambassador Generoso Senga, a former Armed Forces chief of staff, he added. - GMANews.TV

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