Filipinos in Afghanistan are still safe, according to the president of the Philippine Association in Afghanistan, Joseph Glenn Gumpal, on Monday.
But they are afraid of what could happen if the Taliban visit the place where they live, he said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has raised Alert Level 4 in Afghanistan after the Taliban captured several of its cities, including Kabul.
“Sa awa ng Diyos po, ligtas po kami. Ang iniisip lang namin, ligtas kami ngayon, at safe kami dahil hindi pa kami pinupuntahan. Ang kinatatakot namin, pupuntahan kami [ng Taliban]. Yun lang yung kinakatakot namin,” said Gumpal in an interview with TeleRadyo.
He said Filipinos are now in different places in Afghanistan because they work for different companies.
They have not yet received a report of any Filipino being injured.
He said that it has been difficult to get the phone signal since yesterday, but their fellow Filipinos in the said country are still making money.
Gumpal said the Taliban’s entry into Kabul on Sunday was quiet.
“Walang nagyaring barilan or what. Wala. Awa ng Diyos, sumunod sila doon sa kanilang pangako na, they will not harm people in Kabul, even foreigners,” he said.
Filipinos in Afghanistan still safe for now
According to Gumpal, they are already in contact with the Philippine embassy in Pakistan for the repatriation of Filipinos.
175 Filipinos are working in Afghanistan, said recruitment consultant and migration expert Emmanuel Geslani. The Department of Foreign Affairs estimates 130.
Most of them are professionals working in offices as accountants and managers.
Some work for security companies and multilateral aid agencies such as the Red Cross, the Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank.
The Philippine government has ordered all Filipinos to evacuate Afghanistan as Taliban forces took control of the capital Kabul.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised Alert Level 4 on Sunday night. Iis the highest security warning given by the Philippines on countries that pose risks to Filipino travelers and workers due to armed conflict or disaster.
According to DFA, there is a “worsening security situation in the country” as Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani left Kabul while Taliban militants entered the capital.
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