Panayam kay DFA Usec. Eduardo de Vega (November 3, 2023) | UB
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Transcript
00:00 The opening of the Rafah border crossing in Egypt is expected to save those who are fighting in Gaza.
00:06 And for that update, we have our foreign affairs undersecretary Eduardo de Vega.
00:12 Good morning Usec de Vega, this is Maris and we are live on Unang Balita.
00:16 Good morning Maris.
00:18 First of all, let me clarify, this Rafah crossing border, after it was initially opened,
00:25 is it being closed and will it be opened again if they are allowed to cross from Gaza?
00:33 It is open temporarily, it is not being closed, it is open.
00:39 But it is not open for anyone, anyone who is waiting to cross.
00:45 There needs to be approval in the list.
00:48 They list it every day, the list of who can cross.
00:53 All right, an official in Gaza said that more foreign passport holders are included in the crossing.
01:01 Are other citizens included?
01:05 How many are they? Because I understand initially it was said 136.
01:09 Is it possible for all of them to go home and do they all want to cross the border?
01:14 Yes. Let me start with our citizens.
01:18 136. There are two doctors or medical workers of Doctors Without Borders who are already licensed because they have crossed.
01:29 Yes sir.
01:30 They are the first international organizations.
01:32 So there are 134 Filipinos living in Gaza Strip and 115 want to cross.
01:40 Filipinos are included in the 7,000 plus. The problem is not everyone can enter at the same time.
01:48 That's why they are doing it every day, 500 or 600 are allowed to enter, usually by nationalities.
01:54 Yesterday, the US allowed it.
01:57 We are having diplomatic representations with Israel and Egypt to give priority to Filipinos.
02:05 We hope to have good news by this weekend.
02:09 Why is it limited to 500 a day?
02:15 It's limited to 600.
02:18 500 to 600.
02:19 Yes. If it's 7,000 plus, it will take two weeks for all of them to cross.
02:26 All of the foreigners who want to cross, can cross.
02:34 Why? So it won't be a mess, it will be orderly. It's like an airport, like when you board an airplane.
02:43 It's limited to those who can process. If you cross, you will arrive at the Egypt side.
02:52 For example, in the Egypt side, you will process your transit visa.
02:56 So it won't take long, like what happened in Sudan, the one that went through the southern part of Egypt.
03:05 Sometimes it takes days, like in December, they took days.
03:11 Now, if you cross, on the same day, you will get your permit to enter Egypt.
03:18 Yusec, what are the chances that Filipinos will be given priority in the queue?
03:26 We'd like to think that there are high chances that we will be given priority because we are friends with Israel,
03:37 like what President Marcos said, and Egypt. We are talking to them because we have diplomatic representations with them.
03:51 I cannot say when, but we're hopeful and confident that within a few days,
03:58 not more than two weeks or ten days, our countrymen will be able to cross.
04:04 Undersecretary, if possible, will only one batch be able to cross?
04:10 The 115 Filipinos who want to cross to Egypt, will they be able to do it in one batch?
04:17 Yes, that's how it should be. 136. Sorry, 136 now, 134 Filipino rooms.
04:26 We submitted to Israel and Egypt all of them.
04:30 The 134?
04:31 134. Even those who don't want to leave, 19 of them said that as of now, they will leave.
04:40 We also gave their husbands' names, just in case, to allow the Palestinian spouses to join.
04:48 The idea is that they should survive.
04:51 Yes. Okay.
04:52 We are arranging for our countrymen, because they are all contacts, to get ready at any moment.
05:03 Because today, tomorrow, Sunday, all Filipinos will be ready.
05:12 Our countrymen are ready. If we say they can cross, they will cross.
05:17 So we are still contacting our countrymen who want to cross the border,
05:22 how are they and how far are they from the border itself,
05:26 so that if we say now, they can cross, how long will it take for them to cross?
05:32 Some are outside. Almost 60 of them, maybe more, are outside the crossing along with thousands of other people.
05:42 Others are in other places, southern Gaza, in apartments or what.
05:49 All of them are within 15 minutes, 20 minutes or less, are already at the crossing.
05:55 How are they?
05:56 We are given advance notice. For example, the gate opens every day at 9 a.m.
06:03 All right.
06:04 They will say with hours notice, they are not 100 percent. They are uninjured.
06:14 They are not dead, they are not injured, they are not affected.
06:24 Well, they are all affected emotionally. Their food and water is not enough.
06:29 They have but they are saving. So it's not ideal. They need to be cured.
06:35 That's one of the reasons we are asking the people who are in Gaza crossing to be careful.
06:45 So they are all right but not under the best condition. This is war.
06:51 All right. What is more important is they are safe.
06:54 But we are just lucky, Undersecretary, that some of our countrymen from Lebanon will return to the Philippines.
07:01 Did the voluntary repatriation increase?
07:05 Not yet. Well, my last list is 165.
07:12 But remember, the time in Lebanon is around 2.16 or 1.16 in the morning.
07:22 So later in the afternoon, Philippine time, we have a new report from the embassy.
07:29 I think it's a lot. And in Israel, it's in the West Bank.
07:34 In Israel, by the way, some will return on November 6.
07:38 Okay. The ones who are not repatriated to Lebanon, are they safe, Undersecretary?
07:47 They are safe because there is no full-scale war in Lebanon.
07:53 What's happening in Southern Lebanon, where there are hezbollahs that fire rockets,
08:00 it always happens all year round and they will return.
08:05 They are used to it. But the main cities where the people are crossing, like Beirut, the capital,
08:13 the capital of Lebanon, there is no war. So they are in a good condition,
08:19 except we are still calling for voluntary repatriation because the situation is tense.
08:26 You can see in the international news that different countries are following what Israel is doing.
08:32 That's why we are still urging our countrymen while there is a repatriation program, to take advantage.
08:39 All right. Usec, we are in Israel. The DFA has a plan to raise the alert level in some places there.
08:46 When will this be implemented and where?
08:51 We are waiting for your recommendation, Ambassador Judy Lailo.
08:57 And not in the whole of Israel, if that happens.
09:01 It will happen in Northern Israel. Just to remind our countrymen to evacuate the area.
09:11 We don't have a travel ban. Israel is talking to us because there are agricultural scholars
09:21 who haven't been released yet because they are giving training to agricultural students.
09:27 We haven't banned the Filipinos, except not in certain areas.
09:34 We haven't announced it yet. We are still waiting for the embassy's report.
09:40 Maybe next week if the situation in Northern Israel gets worse.
09:45 All right. Thank you very much DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega.
09:50 We're of course wishing you all the best, especially in our diplomatic connections
09:54 so that our countrymen can be safe in the Rock of War in Egypt.
09:58 Thank you. Good morning.
10:00 God bless. Good morning.
10:03 [News broadcast]
10:15 [Music]