Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Locsin lauds AFP deployment of 2 ships for Mideast repatriation

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 26, 2020): Locsin lauds AFP deployment of 2 ships for Mideast repatriation (By Priam Nepomuceno)



PH CONTINGENT IN OMAN. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., is given arrival honors during his visit to the two Philippine Navy ships docked in Oman on Tuesday (Feb. 25, 2020). The BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) are currently docked at Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat to repatriate Filipinos affected by recent tensions in the Middle East. (Photo courtesy of Naval Public Affairs Office)

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., on Tuesday lauded the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for heeding the call to deploy two naval ships to help in the interagency efforts to repatriate Filipinos affected by tensions in the Middle East.

He made this statement after visiting BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) who are currently docked at Port Sultan Qaboos, Muscat, Oman.

In a brief address to personnel, Locsin expressed his appreciation of the “fact that the Armed Forces of the Philippines heeded the call to send two Navy ships to Muscat to assist our fellow Filipinos in the event of mass repatriation in the region”.

This mission is part of the AFP Joint Task Force “Pagpauli” headed by AFP vice chief-of-staff, Vice Admiral Gaudencio Collado Jr. who is also in Oman now to personally oversee the situation there, Philippine Navy (PN) public affairs office chief Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas said.

Locsin also recognized the goodwill of the Omani government "for opening Muscat and allowing the PN ships to have a temporary home in the region” which he said is a testament of the Philippines-Oman relations.

While awaiting orders from Manila on the specifics of repatriation, Roxas said Naval Task Force 82's contingent, along with Collado's party, engaged the Filipino community in Oman in a two-day open ship tour and visit in Philippine School Sultanate of Oman, as well as promoting naval diplomacy through the courtesy call to the Royal Navy of Oman chief, Rear Admiral Abdullah Bin Khasim Al Raisi.

The mission to Oman is the further voyage the PN had in its recent history and the likelihood the longest mission it can sustain and is a sign of advancing and transforming Navy, Roxas added.

The two ships along with Task Force 82 left Pier 13, Manila South Harbor last January 13 and after refueling and reprovisioning stop in Colombo, Sri Lanka a few days later. It arrived at Muscat, Oman on February 5.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1094834

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