PH urges restraint amid Venezuela tension, will assist Pinoys

The Philippines on Sunday said it is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela after the US attacked it, as it urged restraint among concerned parties and assured Filipinos of assistance.

"The Philippines is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Venezuela," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

"The Philippines urges concerned parties to resolve disputes through peaceful means, and to exercise restraint to prevent escalation of conflict," it added.

The DFA also said the Philippine Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia is ready to assist Filipinos in Venezuela.

“The Philippine Embassy in Bogota, which serves as non-resident mission for Venezuela, has issued a travel and safety advisory to Filipinos in Venezuela, and stands ready to provide assistance to them, as necessary and appropriate, to keep them out of harm’s way,” it said.

In its advisory, the Philippine Embassy advised Filipinos to stay alert, be informed, and maintain a list of emergency contacts.

For assistance and other concerns, Filipinos may contact the Philippine Embassy in Bogota at +57 310 753 7926 or +57 310 396 6319.

They may also message the embassy's official Facebook page or bogota.oe@dfa.gov.ph.

DFA has logged 74 Filipinos in Venezuela. 

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said the US had captured Venezuela's long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro. 

However, the Venezuelan leader has denied those claims and said Washington was intent on taking control of his nation's oil reserves, the largest in the world.

Maduro was brought to the US to face various charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila) said the United States would take over Venezuela following what he described as a “successful” overnight military operation that led to the arrest of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas. —with a report from Michaela del Callar/KG, GMA Integrated News