DFA, DOLE studying imposition of deployment ban after Yemen attack

The Labor and Foreign Affairs department is now evaluating the security of Yemen following the December 5 attack on a military compound to determine if a deployment ban against the country needs to be put into place.
 
Yemen's Defense Ministry was attacked last Thursday, killing 52 people including seven Filipino medical workers and injuring 11 more Filipinos. 
 
The terrorist group Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack early Friday morning on its Twitter account, pointing at its accommodation of "drone control rooms and American experts" as a reason for the attack. 
 
Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzedin Tago was tasked by the DFA to assess the situation, told Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz to GMA News Online on Sunday. She said they will wait for the advisement of the Department Of Foreign Affairs (DFA) before they would make an appropriate response.
 
"Monitoring and assessment of the security situation in Yemen are being undertaken to ensure the safety of Filipinos in Yemen," said DFA Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez in a text message. He said any developments would be reported to the public immediately.
 
The attack was condemned by Malacañang on Friday, who urged the Yemeni government to bring justice to the perpetrators of the crime. 
 
A deployment ban was just removed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)last March. Yemen's crisis alert was subsequently lowered from Level 3 to Level 1, after it was found to be compliant with international laws safeguarding the rights of overseas Filipino workers. —  Rie Takumi / KDM, GMA News

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