President Marcos: Explore all exit points for Pinoys in Gaza

MANILA, Philippines — The number of Filipinos confirmed killed in the Hamas attacks in Israel has risen to three, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), as President Marcos ordered concerned government agencies yesterday to explore all exit options for Filipinos willing to be repatriated from the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega identified the latest confirmed fatality as a 49-year-old woman from Negros Occidental.

He said the victim, who was also a caregiver, died in the attack at a music festival in Kibbutz on Oct. 7. The Department of Migrant Workers identified her as Loreta Villarin Alacre.

“What we understand is she was one of the attendees and a lot of people died there,” De Vega said at a press briefing at Malacañang.

More than 200 people were killed at the music festival, usually held during the Sukkot, an Israeli holiday.

De Vega said the family of the victim and the President were already informed about the latest Filipino casualty in the raging war between Israeli forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“Her family is aware, the President is aware and the Philippine government of course is working with the family. The embassy in Israel is in touch with the sisters who are in Kuwait actually for the repatriation of remains,” De Vega said.

“We join the nation in extending our deepest sympathies to the relatives of the latest casualty who was also a caregiver. Of course, we thank also the Israelis for their assistance for our kababayans who need protection in Israel right now,” he said.

The two other Filipino casualties were 36-year-old Angelyn Aguirre of Pangasinan and 42-year-old Paul Vincent Castelvi from Pampanga.

Quoting reports from the embassy, De Vega said three Filipinos remain missing.

“However, it doesn’t mean that there is no hope because as we said before, there were a lot more missing a week ago –  now the (missing persons) are getting fewer. So possibly, these three will still show up, we hope,” he said partly in Filipino.

During a meeting with DFA officials at Malacañang on Thursday, Marcos ordered concerned government agencies to exhaust all remedies available to start the