The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday assured the public that it is fully prepared to respond to any escalation in the Middle East, following the recent death of a Filipino national in an Iranian strike.

In an interview, AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military has contingency plans in place to protect and, if necessary, evacuate Filipinos in conflict zones abroad.

“Meron po tayong contingency plan. Ang tawag natin dito ay non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO). Matagal na nating ginagawa ito (We have a contingency plan. We call it a non-combatant evacuation operation. We’ve been doing this for a long time),” Brawner explained, referencing previous missions where military ships and aircraft were deployed to bring overseas Filipinos home safely.

He noted that transport assets, including C-130 aircraft and naval vessels, are on standby should the situation require another evacuation effort.

“Nakahanda ang ating C-130, yung mga barko, in case na kailanganin muli nating i-evacuate ang ating mga kababayan (Our C-130 aircraft and naval ships are ready, in case we need to evacuate our fellow Filipinos again),” he said.

In light of recent developments, Brawner added that the AFP is reviewing and updating its operational plans to ensure they remain effective and aligned with current global risks.

“Ire-revisit natin yung plano para updated. Yung mga eroplano at barko natin, dapat siguraduhing airworthy at seaworthy (We will revisit the plan to make sure it’s updated. Our aircraft and ships must be ensured to be airworthy and seaworthy),” he said.