At least six Filipinos refuse to leave Afghanistan even after Taliban forces took control the country.
Joseph Gumpal, the president of the Samahan ng Mga Pilipino sa Afghanistan, said on Wednesday, August 25, that the Filipinos fear that they will have no source of income when they leave the South Asian nation and return to the Philippines.
"Meron dalawa sa Jalalabad na ayaw naman umuwi. Tapos yung apat na babae sa Kabul, yung dalawa nagtratabaho sa hotel tapos yung dalawa nagtratabaho sa medical clinic, ayaw din umuwi," Gumpal said during DZRH's Dos Por Dos.
"Sabi nila ay maigi ng mamatay sa giyera kaysa sa mamatay sa gutom sa Pilipinas," he added.
Gumpal also said that four Filipinos in Mazar-i-Sharif wants to leave Afghanistan but they face difficulties since the operations of the international airport in the city have stopped.
"Yung apat na nasa Mazar, iyon yung nakikiusap na umuwi sila kaso wala naman paraan para maiuwi. Nakikusap sila kung pwede silang tumawid ng border, papuntang Uzbekistan," Gumpal said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised Alert Level 4, which meant mandatory evacuation for all Filipinos in the area, on August 15 after Taliban seized Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
As of Tuesday, DFA said that the Philippines has repatriated 185 Filipinos from Afghanistan, and 24 countrymen still remains in the country.
