Envoy asks kin: Convince OFWs in war-torn Libya to come home


Charge d'Affaires Elmer Cato on Saturday appealed to families in the Philippines of OFWs in strife-torn Libya to convince their relatives to return home as the situation in the host country has become "increasingly dangerous."
"[Last] Tuesday, we had that rocket attack on a neighborhood in Tripoli where more than 200 Filipinos are residing. One Filipino was wounded. On Wednesday, mortars struck a hospital with 18 Filipinos in the outskirts where heavy fighting is taking place. On Friday, six Filipinos were trapped in fighting in their neighborhood in Tripoli," Cato said.
"Despite all our efforts, we just could not convince them to take our offer to bring them home while we still can. We want to bring our kababayan home alive," he added.
He said, "We will continue to go where they are, call them, and engage them online. We were at the St. Francis Church yesterday to talk to them but still our kababayan would rather stay."
"We have received 22 requests so far, including the seven we repatriated a few days ago who have already arrived in Manila. We have received some queries from other Filipinos but they are still undecided."
There are over 1,000 Filipinos in capital Tripoli.
In a statement, the DFA said the first batch who were evacuated included three hospital workers and four students.
They were brought to Tunisia before they would be repatriated. —with a report from JP Soriano/LBG, GMA News

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