DFA spokesman: 'Hundreds' of Pinay nurses to stay in Libya

The Philippine government will not force Filipino nurses who have decided to stay in strife-torn Libya to flee, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday. According to DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya, the nurses, who he said numbered in the "hundreds," refused to leave because they felt it was safe there. "Dapat kahit may kaguluhan, dapat respetuhin kung ano ang decision nila. Hindi tayo namimilit, di tayo namumuwersa (Even if there is tension there, we have to respect their decision. We are not forcing anyone to leave Libya)," Malaya said in an interview on dwIZ radio. He did not give further details on where in Libya the Filipino nurses were stationed. When asked how many these nurses were, he said they were "in the hundreds." Malaya said the DFA learned of the nurses' decisions when Philippine Embassy teams talked to them. "Our personnel told us the nurses said they felt safe in Libya," Malaya said. Also, Malaya said the DFA did not have the nurses sign any waiver, to clear the Philippine government of responsibility if something untoward happens to them who stayed. "We don't have to resort to that waiver. What is important is that they had been contacted and were made aware that the government is conducting repatriation and evacuation efforts. I think that is enough," he said. Meanwhile, another batch of Filipinos returned home from Libya Thursday night. Radio dzBB reported the Filipinos arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport aboard an Etihad Airways flight at 10 p.m. They said they had to make stops in Turkey and Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) before returning home. — LBG/RSJ, GMA News