Second group of Filipino refugees from Libya arrived in Malta

By Veronica Ugates
Malta
August 5, 2014



On the 27^th of July 2014, I received a message from a former colleague in Harouge oil Operations informing me that they were stuck in Tibisti, an oil rig somewhere in the Sahara, as the company still did not have plans to evacuate them.

However , the situation was deteriorating fast and on the 2^nd of August 2014, urgent evacuation plans were formed to get the  workers in the oil fields immediately evacuated. Juan Dante Capilitan, friend and colleague was one of those who came at the last moments.

On the 2^nd of August 2014, about 22 Filipino workers of Harouge Oil Operations  together with some British and other nationalities were evacuated to Malta aboard the Dash-8 plane of the company. Still 2 Filipinos were left in Ghani field. They were not allowed to board the flight as they did not have their passports with them.  Apparently, they were mugged in Tripoli, about a few meters from the staff house on their way to work two months previously,  and they lost their passports together with their laptops, money and other important items. At present these two Filipinos are still in the field as transport and communications had broken down between Tripoli and Ghani.  We can only hope that they will survive there far from any form of contact and trace of civilization. It would be very dangerous for them to cross the desert but staying does not really hold much hope unless the conflict will be over. They will be subject to marauding pillagers and nobody really knows how long their supplies will last.

Juan Dante Capilitan, is a Senior Nurse of Harouge Oil Operations and have served the company for about 24 or 25 years now. If the war will be over and the company survives, he will be in a very comfortable position to live his retirement years. But for now it is just wishful thinking.

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See related article:

THE FIRST GROUP OF FILIPINO REFUGEES FROM LIBYA ARRIVED IN MALTA