MANILA – The Philippines has reiterated its call for restraint in the Korean Peninsula, even as it stepped up contingency for tens of thousands of Filipinos based in South Korea and in Guam, the US territory that North Korea has threatened to attack.
“The Philippine Embassy in Seoul and the Consulate General in Agana have been monitoring the situation closely and have been working closely with the Filipino communities in the Republic of Korea and Guam, respectively, to ensure preparedness for any eventuality,” Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
Also on Sunday, the Department of Foreign Affairs assured the public that contingency measures are in place in case the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) make good its threat to fire missiles towards Guam.
In a statement Sunday, DFA said Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano was on the phone with Ambassador Raul Hernandez in Seoul and Consul General Marciano de Borja in Agana for updates on the situation in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
The Department said both Ambassador Hernandez and Consul General De Borja have given assurances that their respective contingency plans for the Filipino community are in place should the tensions in the Korean Peninsula escalate further.
Cayetano echoed President Rodrigo Duterte’s calls for both the United States and the DPRK to exercise restraint and to take the necessary steps to avoid further escalation of the situation.
DFA cited estimates of approximately 65,000 Filipinos in South Korea and another 42,835 in Guam.
