In a letter dated Jan. 4, 2020, Philippine Embassy Charge d’Affaires Jomar Sadie also asked the companies to allow their Filipino employees to take a leave of absence back to the Philippines “if the situation deteriorates.”
“In view of the recent situation in Iraq, the Embassy kindly requests you to provide the following: 1) number of Filipinos working in your company; 2) contingency plan for your Filipino workers in case of evacuation,” the Embassy’s top diplomat said in his letter. This figure was disputed by Filipino migration advocate Emmanuel Geslani, who said the number of Filipinos who are currently in Iraq, including those in the Kurdistan area, could reach more than 3,000.