The Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Wednesday,  11 October, that they are ready to repatriate the Filipinos if things get worse between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

During the Malacañang Press Briefing, AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said they had made an evacuation plan and identified a temporary place for affected Filipinos.

Aguilar said that two C-130 and one C-295 planes were ready to be sent if the Philippine government needed them to bring back Filipinos in the conflict zone.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines is prepared to execute evacuation operation should there be a need for that and we already came out with a plan on how to do it. This will be a whole-of-nation approach because what is important for us is the safety of our countrymen," Aguilar said.

Aguilar said that the AFP will send the planes to two "airports of embarkation" where Filipinos living abroad can meet and be picked up.

He said these airports are Haifa Airport in Haifa, Israel, and the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The military spokesman also said that the Filipinos living abroad would be taken to the Adana Sakirpasa Airport in Adana, Turkey, where they would be taken to a "temporary safe haven" before being sent back to the Philippines.

Aguilar said they would only execute all of these plans based on the recommendations or instructions from other government authorities.

He also assured the public that the AFP is prepared to execute evacuation operations should there be any further attack.

"What is important for us is the safety of our countrymen in conflict areas," Aguilar said

Pinoys now seeking repatriation from Gaza

In the same meeting, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said 70 Filipinos have already asked to be sent back to their home country from Gaza.