DFA belies report Syria's Assad sought asylum, financial assistance from PHL



, GMA News
A Department of Foreign Affairs official on Thursday belied a newspaper report saying Syria President Bashar Assad had sought asylum and financial assistance from the Philippines.

As a reaction to the banner story of The Philippine Star on Thursday, DFA Spokesman Raul Hernandez told GMA News Online the report's claims “aren't true.”

Hernandez said President Benigno Aquino III, with DFA officials, met with Assad's adviser Bouthaina Shaaban earlier this week in Manila to discuss possible political solutions to the two-year Syrian conflict.

“The political solution is in contrast to a military armed intervention which Syria is avoiding,” said Hernandez.

He also said the discussion aimed to get the opinion of the Philippines on the Syrian situation, and that it was normal for troubled countries to ask for help from the international community.

Also, Hernandez said there was a letter from Assad handed personally to Aquino by Bouthaina.

The letter, he said, was also about Syria's efforts to find political solutions to the conflict, but Hernandez did not elaborate on it.

Hernandez said Aquino took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Bouthaina for the instrumental help the Syrian government has extended to Filipino repatriates.

The Philippine government has imposed forced repatriation of Filipinos from Syria due to the worsening armed conflict there.

Several batches of Filipinos have since arrived home from Syria, the latest was the batch of 78 OFWs who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Thursday morning.

The recent arrivals have brought the number of those who have returned from Syria to over 3,000.

Based on the 2011 stock estimate by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, there were  some17,000 Filipinos in Syria.

The armed conflict between the Assad's Ba'ath party loyalists and rebels which started 22 months ago, has already claimed some 60,000 lives.— LBG, GMA News

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