No Filipinos were affected in the recent explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon, a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official confirmed on Friday. The explosions, which occurred over two days, resulted in at least 37 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries, but no Filipinos were reported harmed.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega emphasized the safety of Filipino nationals during an interview with ANC’s Headstart. “That’s the positive news I could share. Absolutely no Filipinos were affected,” De Vega stated. He also expressed relief that Filipinos were not involved with Hezbollah. “No Filipinos were reportedly injured during the successive days of the attacks,” he added.
The explosions, which were blamed on Israel, occurred when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives detonated. The pagers, reportedly sourced from Taiwan, were found to have explosives packed inside. A Japanese firm, Icom, confirmed that the walkie-talkies involved in the blasts were an old model discontinued a decade ago.
Some Israeli media and experts suggested that the operation bore the hallmarks of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency. However, Israel has not issued any official comment on the matter.
Following the attacks, the Philippine government reiterated its call for Filipinos in Lebanon to evacuate as tensions continue to rise. However, De Vega acknowledged that some Filipinos face challenges in leaving due to expired or undocumented visa statuses. Many of those working in Lebanon are household workers, some of whom are undocumented.
Lebanon remains under Crisis Alert Level 3, with authorities closely monitoring the situation for potential escalation.