Palace: No need to evacuate Pinoys in Bahrain

(Updated 2:00 a.m. Feb. 18) Malacañang sees no need yet to evacuate Filipinos in Bahrain amid escalating protest actions there, but is closely monitoring the situation in the oil-rich island state. At a press briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said they have been regularly receiving updates from the Department of Foreign Affairs regarding the ongoing tension there. “We are closely monitoring the situation in Bahrain through the Department of Foreign Affairs. We have been getting updates on the situation and as of the moment, there is no need yet [to evacuate OFWS]," she said. She said the Philippine post in Bahrain would inform the DFA of any development that would adversely affect Filipinos living and working there. “Magsasabi naman po ang ating poste kapag meron nang mga circumstances that would warrant an evacuation. It was the same thing na ginawa natin noong nagkaroon po ng kaguluhan sa Egypt," Valte said. (Our embassy will alert us of any event there that would warrant an evacuation. It’s the same thing we did when there was tension in Egypt.) In a separate DFA release emailed to GMA News on Thursday, the Philippine Embassy in Manama reported that no Filipinos have been injured in the rallies at the Pearl Roundabout, the main square at the center of the city. Thousands of protesters took over the main square last Tuesday, February 15, many of them staying in tents and vowing never to leave until the government heeds their demands, which included a new constitution, democratic elections, and an end to the anti-Shia, Sunni-dominated governance. As a precaution, the embassy advised Filipinos residing in Bahrain "to stay indoors, to refrain from joining the rallies and to carefully monitor the ongoing unrest." Migrante-Middle East had earlier expressed worries that Filipinos in Bahrain may get caught between the two sides and called on the Aquino administration to start drawing up evacuation plans for them should the protests turn violent. - Amita O. Legaspi/KBK/JV, GMA News