Updated March 17, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang yesterday denied reports that Ambassador Manuel Lopez had sought approval from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to evacuate some of the Philippines’ diplomatic staff in Japan amid the threat of nuclear fallout.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario had informed Malacañang that Lopez did not ask for the mission’s staff to leave Japan.
Reports said Lopez sought clearance for the evacuation of the entire diplomatic staff in Japan on the threat of nuclear fallout but was flatly rejected by the DFA.
Sources said DFA officials reminded Lopez of his duty to lead in providing assistance to Filipinos affected by the twin tragedies that struck Japan last Friday.
Lacierda also stressed the Philippine government would send rescue teams to assist the Filipinos and also those displaced residents of areas devastated by last Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.
A two-man advance party flew to Japan yesterday to assess the situation in the area.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Benito Ramos said the contingent is composed of former defense attaché to Japan Col. Danilo Estropia and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) search and rescue team chief Ranny Magno.
Ramos said the two officials would determine the area where the plane that would carry the Philippine search and rescue team could land and if its capability is suitable to the situation in the affected areas.
Ramos though clarified the deployment of the advance party does not mean that the government has given a go-signal to send a search and rescue team.
“It’s not for me to decide. Only the President of the Philippines (can make the decision)… these are technical people and we want to know how we can use our capabilities to adapt to the situation,” he said.
Five highly skilled members of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) are also being prepared for deployment to Japan to help in the rescue and retrieval operations, particularly in Sendai.
Ready for repatriation
Malacañang added the Philippine government is ready to repatriate Filipinos in Japan who would want to go home.
But Lacierda said there would be no forced repatriation of Filipinos in Japan yet. Aside from the aftershocks of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake, Japan was also hit by a powerful tsunami and nuclear emergency following explosions in nuclear plants in Fukushima.
“We are currently in alert level two, similarly it means that we would recommend voluntary departure if we feel the need to leave Japan,” Lacierda said.
“For those who would wish to leave Japan right now but have no means, there is a C-130 which will go there and will be used to bring home Filipinos who would wish to transfer back home to the Philippines,” he said.
Lacierda said the C-130 plane would be in Tokyo but “all of our plans are still subject to the consent and approval of the Japanese government.”
Lacierda said the embassy, with the help of the Philippine search and rescue teams that Japan would allow to enter, will “look and account for all the (Filipino) citizens there.”
Lacierda said the Philippine embassy became a refuge for Filipinos when hostilities erupted in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
He said Filipino diplomats in Japan are expected to do the same.
Lacierda added Del Rosario had given assurance that all Filipinos affected by the tragedy in Japan would be assisted.
“Secretary Del Rosario said the Philippine embassy is a home for every Filipino so if they need shelter they can be assured of help from the embassy (in Japan),” Lacierda said.
“We encourage those who have the means to come home to go back to the Philippines on their own,” he said.
Lacierda said all the travel documents lost by Filipinos in Japan would be fixed by the embassy to allow them to return home.
He added Cebu Pacific airline had volunteered to assist in the repatriation of Filipinos in Japan.
Earlier, Lopez was quoted in reports as saying that there was no money to evacuate and repatriate the Filipinos and that non-essential embassy staff, including dependents of employees, had been allowed to leave Japan.
DFA Undersecretary Rafael Seguis confirmed the Philippine embassy’s offer in Japan for voluntary repatriation for non-essential embassy staff and their families.
But Seguis said the DFA and Del Rosario had not yet decided on the embassy’s voluntary repatriation offer.
Financing the exodus
Lacierda said the Philippine government has made an allocation to finance the repatriation of Filipinos from Japan and the fund could be used anytime if needed.
“I’m sure the President can always direct the Department of Budget and Management to make sure that there will be funds available for repatriation if necessary,” he said.
Lacierda said the embassy would be constantly monitoring the situation in Japan.
“I’m sure that the Philippine embassy – its officials and employees – will be making sure that the Filipinos are amply identified and secured,” he said.
He said even Filipinos married to Japanese would be assisted by the embassy if needed.
“I understand that’s a difficult situation for Filipinos right now because they were devastated. We will ask the DFA and also the DBM what could be done for our fellowmen in Japan whose properties and assets were destroyed and how we could help them come home,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda said there are some Filipinos that could not be repatriated right away because of legalities and the need to make consultations with Manila first due to funding limitations.
“We will look into any Filipino citizen who will be looking for assistance from our embassy. That is a primary responsibility of this government. Some of them I understand have chosen to remain, some of them I’ve seen on TV have chosen to come home. In the meantime, while there are some safety issues in Japan specifically in the Fukushima prefecture… they will be a concern for us as well,” he said.
Asked why the embassy would say there was no money to repatriate Filipinos as what a family had claimed or why Manila’s consent would still have to be secured first before providing assistance, Lacierda explained this was only because of accountability and auditing procedures.
Lacierda said this does not mean lack of common sense or concern for fellowmen.
“As much as we’d like to – and we certainly would like to help them – we have to get clearance first and there should be go signal (from Manila). It’s important that we get all these clearances... Certainly we should really help our citizens, especially those asking for help and I’m sure that they will be addressed. We just really need to get the go signal from Manila so that everything we will do is legal,” Lacierda said.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan admitted before national television on Tuesday that there had been a significant radiation leak from the Fukushima nuclear facility and that radiation levels had become dangerous to humans.
Aftershocks also continued to rock some areas in Japan and many had lost their homes and their loved ones due to the tsunami.