Imee Marcos calls for completion of evacuation plan for OFWs in Taiwan

Senate foreign relations committee chairperson Imee Marcos on Wednesday called on the government to prioritize the completion of an evacuation plan for around 150,000 overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan.

The lawmaker made the call as she expressed reservations about plans to relocate Afghan refugees to the Philippines.

"The U.S. is preparing an evacuation plan for its citizens in Taiwan, and so is Indonesia for its 350,000 migrant workers. Will we be ready or reactive?" Marcos said in a statement.

While she noted the assurance from the Department of Foreign Affairs in April, the lawmaker expressed doubt that a comprehensive evacuation plan is already in place for Filipino workers in Taiwan should China move to occupy it.

China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, which it aims to reclaim by force if necessary.

"No details, no drills. Military exercises have focused on retaliation, not rescue,'' Marcos said as she pointed out that an evacuation plan should be the immediate goal of humanitarian and disaster response efforts with the United States under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

"We need answers to how OFWs will assemble amid a widespread scramble to leave. What flight or shipping routes will give them safe passage through a military blockade? What transport will be used, where will they dock, and how often will they fetch Filipino evacuees so that everyone gets out as quickly as possible unharmed?" she asked.

In April, the DFA said contingency measures are in place to assist OFWs in Taiwan in case tensions spark in the area.

It said the Philippines will be a friend to all and will deal with foreign nations based on mutual respect.

The DFA issued the statement following the remarks of Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian on the fate of OFWs in Taiwan amid the strengthening of ties between the Philippines and the United States.

In February, the Department of National Defense (DND) announced a deal that gave American troops access to four more bases in strategic areas of the country, with the aim of accelerating the full implementation of EDCA.

The DND said these new EDCA locations would allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate-related disasters in the Philippines and respond to other shared challenges. —VBL, GMA Integrated News