Marcos: No deal yet on housing Afghan refugees

There is no deal yet on the request made by the United States to house Afghan nationals in the Philippines as studies are ongoing regarding its impact, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Thursday.

In an ambush interview, Marcos said the Philippine government has to be conscious on the security issues if the US request will be granted.

“There are many issues involved… That’s why I was a little surprised when I saw some of the news reports that there’s a deal between the US… there’s no deal, we’re still looking exactly how to make it work if we can,” Marcos said.

“We will continue to study it. Let’s see if there’s a way we can do it without endangering the security,” he added.

Marcos also said, “It’s entirely possible that we will not find a way to make it happen.“

According to Marcos, the Philippines has a long tradition of taking refugees, however, the request of the US was not for refugees. He noted that the Philippines would just be a “transition area” if the government would allow this.

“They are an entirely different class of persons, they are Afghan nationals who are being settled by the United States in the United States and for other places. We are only going to be a transition area,” Marcos said.

“Ang sabi ng mga kaibigan nating Amerikano, tingnan nila hindi palalampasin ng isang libong tao doon sa ating kung sakaling man ay matutuloy itong request na ito,” he added.

[Our American friends said they will see if the number won't exceed a thousand in case the request will push through.]

Aside from security concerns, Marcos said there are also legal and logistical issues that must be considered in this matter.

“But there are even more difficult legal and logistical issues. Because if the plan as it stands runs exactly as it is planned, di maganda, wala tayong problema. But what plan even ran exactly as it is planned. What if something goes wrong?” Marcos said.

Still, the President admitted that he wants to help in the issue.

“We want to help, ito kasi ang mga Afghan na tumulong sa mga Amerikano noong giyera,” Marcos said.

[We want to help because these Afghanistan (nationals) helped Americans in the war.] 

The request was briefly raised by US President Joe Biden with Marcos during the latter’s state visit to Washington last May, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.

“The Secretary of State directly raised this to me on a few occasions verbally and also in a letter…and in fact, President Biden also briefly raised the issue with President Marcos during the visit last May,” Manalo told senators during an inquiry on the matter on June 16.

Support

At the Kapihan sa Senado Thursday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, who was recently in Washington DC for an official visit, disclosed that the US State Department asked for his support on the request to temporarily house the Afghan nationals.

“They are asking for my support and they asked me first how I feel about it,” Zubiri told reporters.

As a long-time member of the Red Cross, Zubiri said he has no problem with it because if it is the right thing to do.”

“They are human beings. Your blood and their blood are both red. Your children and their children are also musmos na kailangan tulungan at bigyang [kids who need help and be given] protection. Because it is the right thing to do,” the Senate  president said.

Moreover, Zubiri said the Philippines is known for its humanitarian causes such as the move by late former President Manuel Quezon to welcome the Jews in the country.

While there are security concerns on the request, Zubiri believes that these Afghan nationals have been vetted out already by the US State Department and the US Homeland Security.

The Department of Justice has been studying whether allowing the temporary stay of Afghan refugees in the Philippines is legal or not. — with Hana Bordey/RSJ, GMA Integrated News