Filipinos in Libya advised to stay indoors

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine embassy in Libya advised Filipinos in Tripoli to remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary movement following a suicide bombing at the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. 

Philippine embassy chargé d’affaires Mardomel Melicor said that although no Filipino has been reported hurt, he advised the more than 2,000 Filipinos and their dependents in Tripoli to stay indoors for the time being.

Melicor said three suicide bombers were involved in the attack that occurred at around 10:30 a.m. (4:30 p.m. Manila time) and killed three persons and injured seven others.

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed its strong condemnation of the terrorist attack perpetrated on Tuesday, Christmas Day, against the Libyan Foreign Ministry in Tripoli, resulting in a number of fatalities and injuries.

OIC Secretary General Yousef Al-Othaimeen described it as a criminal and brutal act aimed at impeding the pro-national dialogue efforts and at destabilizing the country.

Al-Othaimeen renewed the OIC’s unwavering stand against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, irrespective of their source, and expressed the OIC’s steadfast support for the Libyan government in its fight against terrorism.

The Islamic State on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the attack, saying three of its members carried it out.

Meanwhile, the Philippine embassy in Damascus advised 1,000 members of the Filipino community in Syria to remain vigilant following a series of explosions in the capital late Tuesday evening.

Chargé d’affaires Alex Lamadrid said there were no Filipinos affected by the explosions but the embassy immediately advised Filipinos to remain vigilant.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday called on the government to ensure the safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Libya following the suicide bombing there earlier this week.

The CBCP episcopal commission on migrants and itinerant people urged the Department of Foreign Affairs to implement all measures for this purpose.

“Our government must assist and help those willing to be repatriated,” Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos, chair of the commission, said in an interview.

The prelate also called on OFWs in Libya to heed government’s appeal for vigilance after the attack.

“They must think first and foremost of their safety. With dangerous situation and uncertain times in Libya, our OFWs must always listen and follow the instructions of our Philippine embassy officials,” Santos appealed. – With Edu Punay