Palace to VP Sara: Gov't can't send aircraft as airspace still closed

Malacañang on Monday hit back at Vice President Sara Duterte for saying that the government could simply send an aircraft to the Middle East to bring home overseas Filipino workers amid the ongoing conflict there.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro explained that the government cannot send air assets in the region given that the airspace was shut down due to the tension. 

''Nadinig ko po na 'yan, na parang napakadali lang, hindi daw problema na magpadala ng eroplano sa ganoong sitwasyon. Actually po ang Pangulo, ito po ah, noong kami po ay nagmeeting para dito... ang unang-una po talagang naalala ng Pangulo ay ito po ah, para malaman ng lahat na hindi po ganoon kadali magpadala ng eroplano... unang-una po, pag sarado po ang airspace, hindi ka po talaga makakalipad... so kaya po imposible 'yung sinasabi ng Bise Presidente na madaling magpadala ng eroplano,'' Castro said. 

(I've heard that remark. The President, during our meeting, said that it's not easy to send airplanes since the airspace is still closed due to the ongoing conflict so what the Vice President said was really impossible.) 

Castro further said President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr., during a special Cabinet meeting, underscored that he wants to ensure the safety of the Filipinos, noting that he did not want passengers to get caught in friendly fires.

''Sabi niya, baka lalong malagay sa kapahamakan 'yung ating mga kababayan. Siguraduhin lang na kung sila ay ililipad, siguraduhing ligtas 'yung buhay,'' Castro said.

(He said that the lives of Filipinos could be put at risk. If they will be transported, their lives must be protected.) 

The Vice President earlier said the government could easily charter a flight to repatriate Filipinos affected by the Middle East conflict, mentioning her experience as mayor of Davao City during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duterte said the local government unit had used COVID-19 funds to pay for a commercial flight to transport passengers who were stranded in Davao City.

Reuters reported that according to the US State Department on Saturday, the US government completed over a dozen charter flights and evacuated thousands of Americans from the Middle East since last week.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that the UK government will charter a flight from Dubai next week for their nationals who wanted to leave.

It also reported that the Irish government chartered a flight to bring home stranded Irish nationals from the Middle East. They left Oman on Saturday afternoon.

Private jets have also been considered as an alternative way to leave United Arab Emirates.

Further, NHK reported that a flight chartered by the Japanese government to evacuate Japanese tourists and others stranded in the Middle East already landed in Japan.

On Sunday, a total of 90 OFWs and their families have safely returned to the Philippines from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

More batches of OFWs and their dependents are expected to be repatriated in the coming weeks. —AOL, GMA Integrated News