DFA: Filipinos repatriated amid tension in Cote d’Ivoire

Philippine officials have repatriated at least 10 Filipinos from Cote D'Ivoire amid reports of increasing tension there, the Department of Foreign AFfairs (DFA) said on Thursday. The DFA also said the Philippine Embassy in Abuja (Nigeria), covers relations with Cote D'Ivoire, is sending a two-member consular team to the country to check on Filipinos there. "There are some 100 Filipinos in Cote d'Ivoire, mostly professional and skilled workers, as well as permanent residents. There are also six Armed Forces of the Philippines officers assigned in the UN Operation in Cote D'Ivoire (UNOCI)," the DFA said in a news release on its website. The DFA said the Embassy's contingency plan has been activated since December 2010. The Embassy is also closely coordinating with the Filipino community in Cote D'Ivoire, the DFA added. Tensions in the Cote D'Ivoire started after the second round of the 2010 presidential elections where incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara both claimed that they won the elections. A number of countries, international organizations have recognized Ouattara as the legitimate winner of the elections, the DFA said. – VVP, GMA News