421-strong contingent sent to Saudi Arabia to fetch distressed OFWs 0 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Martin SadongdongSOUTH HARBOR, Manila — The Philippine Navy (PN) deployed Tuesday a 421-strong contingent to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to assist in the repatriation of distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East as tension remains imminent between Iran and the United States. Duterte, in his message to the contingent, said the lives of Filipinos in the Middle East amid the tension are of utmost importance, hence the repatriation mission. “LD602 and PS16 will serve as sea-based platforms that can provide decent accommodation and necessities for OFWs displaced by the looming conflict in the Middle East,” Empedrad said. Iran said the firing was “unintentional.”Since then, the tension between the two countries appeared to have de-escalated although the situation in the Middle East remains volatile.

Source: Manila Bulletin January 14, 2020 10:18 UTC