Filipinos Advised Not to Travel to Libya, Bahrain or Yemen

[pioneer]

By Gloria Jane Baylon

Filipinos are advised to defer non-essential and non-urgent travels to Libya, Bahrain or Yemen until the security situation in those countries have stabilized, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.

Anti-government protest actions are taking place in said countries. In particular, reports from Libya said clashes between protesters and security forces snowballed on Sunday in the northeastern area with 173 locals reportedly dead.

The embassy in Tripoli specifically reported that about 1,800 Filipinos working at a construction site in neighboring Benghazi City (Libya’s largest next to Tripoli) are safe within the worksite, which is about 20 kilometers from where the protests are taking place.

Their contractors, the SNC Lavelin, reportedly assured embassy officials that the site has its own security complement and workers have ample accommodations, food and water.

While about 51,000 Filipinos in the three Middle Eastern countries are reportedly safe, the Philippine embassies in Tripoli, Manama and Riyadh (which has consular jurisdiction over Yemen) are on heightened alert, according to the DFA. - pna

[chicogon]

New Definitions: (Rambol pod)

LIBYA - Ayg lib (leave) lagi d' Philippines

BAHRAIN - Barahin ang mga Pinoy na pumupunta doon

YEMEN - I told you not to go there? Ans: Yeah, man!