Heads up on Lebanon

As speculations fly on Joc-Joc’s detention in the US and bribes allegedly given out to bishops, a dangerous situation is emerging in the Middle East, with Lebanon and Israel in the throes of armed conflict. Judging from the UN Security Council meeting on this conflagration, there is real and present danger that Iran and Syria may be dragged into the conflict, given American rhetoric and Israel’s persistent bombing operations in retaliation against the Hezbollah. (Note:Israel started bombing Beirut after the Hezbollah guerrillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed three others in a cross-border raid last Wednesday.)

Our interest? More than twenty thousand Filipinos are in Lebanon, most of who are women domestic workers. The labor department acted swiftly in ordering a travel ban for workers about to leave for Lebanon. But what if the fire spreads? We have more than a million workers in Saudi Arabia, and thousands in Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, and even Iraq. Right now, the Department of Foreign Affairs has described the Beirut situation as Alert Level 2. Our workers have been advised to stay in their employers’ homes. A crisis committee has been formed to formulate a contingency plan and monitor the situation on a 24-hour basis. Let’s pray and hope that Lebanon’s urgent appeal for a ceasefire and ongoing efforts of the UN to mediate, will prevent an escalation of this dangerous conflict.