PH to send team to Syria to repatriate workers

MANILA, Philippines – The government is sending a team to Syria to help repatriate about 9,000 Filipinos there following a suicide attack that killed key allies of President Bashar al-Assad.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the team will be composed of representatives from the departments of foreign affairs, interior and local government and labor and employment.

The team has no exact date of departure yet, although it is expected to go not only to the capital Damascus but also to other areas in Syria, Hernandez said.

On Wednesday, July 18, a suicide bomb attack killed 3 senior Assad regime security officials including Syria’s defense minister.

This enraged UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, who called on the UN Security Council to help put an end to the bloodshed. The Security Council is scheduled to vote on Friday, July 20 (Manila time) on possible sanctions against the Assa regime.

“Time is of the essence. The Syrian people have suffered for too long. The bloodshed must end now,” Ban said in a statement.

The Philippines has been having a hard time convincing Filipinos to leave Syria because their employers have reportedly enticed them with higher pay.

The government has already evacuated at least 1,800 Filipino workers from Syria since March this year. – Rappler.com

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