Time to go home, DFA advises remaining Pinoys in war-torn Sudan

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday urged all Filipinos in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to “go home” after infighting there between the military and paramilitary forces has claimed the lives of at least 3,000 people.

The DFA made the call amid reports of looting of homes of foreigners in the northeast African country.

“Our advice is still it is time to go home,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said, in an interview over TeleRadyo Serbisyo. The DFA official noted that some 110 Filipinos still remained in Sudan despite earlier repatriation efforts of the Philippine government through the Saudi government.

“Others don’t want to go home because their employers still owe them. They want to be paid first,” De Vega added.

Currently, the Philippines is processing the repatriation of 17 Filipinos who are at the Port of Sudan since two weeks ago.

“We are waiting for commercial

By Rio N. Araja

ALBAY Rep. Joey Salceda wants to ensure tax provisions of oil and gas exploration deals in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are “clear, fair and square.” flights to be available again. Before, Saudi (airlines) flies for free but not right now,” he said.

This is in response to the recent formalization of the Intergovernmental Energy Board that shall manage the extraction of petroleum reserves in the Bangsamoro area.

Salceda said he is working with the national government and will be engaging the Bangsamoro government on the region’s Tax Code as part of the effort.

The Board’s duties would include setting policies for the extraction of oil and gas in the Bangsamoro region, which covers gas-rich areas such as the Liguasan Marsh.

“Liguasan Marsh is suspected to have the largest deposits of natural gas in Southeast Asia. Now, we can’t know for sure, because prospecting has been limited by lack of investments and the peace and order situation, until now. The BARMM government and close collaboration with the National Government give us the opportunity to do that,” he said.

The Liguasan Marsh is a 220,000-hectare wetland with proven reserves of natural gas.

Deadly fighting raged in Sudan since mid-April between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Rey E. Requejo

“It could be the key to energy independence for the Philippines, especially with the shift towards LNG in a transition away from coal.

It could also make BARMM one of the richest areas in the country if we can manage governance well,” Salceda cited.