In Kabul and across Afghanistan The situation is unclear since the Taliban forces marched into Kabul, causing panic among civilians, who gathered at airports to get flights out of the country.
Women have feared for their lives amid the Taliban’s vows to observe a peaceful transition because the militant group has a history of committing brutal human rights violations and mistreating them. Taliban took control after almost 20 years since the US-led allied forces overthrew the government. However, the Taliban has vowed to observe a peaceful transition.
On Wednesday, August 18, 2021, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said that local terrorist groups might be influenced by what the Taliban did in Afghanistan, as they were able to seize control of the entire country, including Kabul, from the Afghan government and U.S. troops. Police are maintaining the peace and security situation in Mindanao as they look to avoid a spillover of the civil unrest in Afghanistan. The PNP would stay alert to prevent similar incidents in Mindanao, a region rocked by insurgency and separatist movements, Eleazar added.
Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reminded Filipinos still in Afghanistan to coordinate with the foreign service as Alert Level 4 remains in the Middle Eastern country. Mandatory repatriation for all Filipinos in the area is in place. There are still 132 Filipinos in Afghanistan according to the latest DFA estimates.