PHL gov’t to bring home more Pinoys from Libya in coming days — envoy


By DONA MAGSINO, GMA News
More Filipinos are set to be voluntarily repatriated from Libya in the coming days, a Philippine envoy said Sunday.
"We have 23 so far na nagre-request ng repatriation. Naiuwi na namin yung pito. May apat na naka-schedule kung kaya naming ilabas agad and 'yung remaining, hinihintay lang natin 'yung exit clearances," Elmer Cato, Charge d'Affaires of the Philippine Embassy to Libya, said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.
Cato added that other Filipinos who intend to avail of the repatriation offer must coordinate with the Philippine Embassy so that their exit clearances may be processed right away.
He added that the Philippine Embassy in Libya respects the choice of those who will  opt to stay in the country despite the ongoing clash.
Cato, however, warned that the officials may find it more difficult to rescue them once the situation worsens.
"Sa ating mga kababayan dito sa Tripoli at sa mga surrounding areas, kung maaari i-consider niyo po seriously 'yung offer ng Philippine government para maiuwi ho kayo, maligtas ho kayo sa kapahamakan, kasi hindi ho natin alam kung anong mangyayari in the next few days," he said.
"Kung lumala pa ho ang sitwasyon, mahihirapan na po kami na kunin kayo at mailabas," he added.
Cato said that the explosions they hear from the embassy are getting louder and more frequent in the past few days, hinting that the fight is getting closer.
Those who have already signed up for repatriation are currently taking refuge in different places while their documents are being processed.
"Some are at the Bahay Kalinga of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office. Some stayed here with us at the Embassy.  Others chose to stay at their residences while waiting for their exit clearances," Cato told GMA News Online. — BM, GMA News

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