Attacks on Saudi oil facilities will ”deeply” affect Philippines: Locsin

September 16, 2019

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday said attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities will “deeply” affect the Philippines.

Locsin made the statement after the Iranian-backed Houthis group in Yemen attacked Abqaig oil facility, the center of the Saudi oil industry, on Saturday.

“This is serious. It will – could not --   affect us deeply; to put it bluntly, an oil shortage or steep rise in oil price will rock the Philippine boat and tip it over," Locsin said, in a his Twitter account.

"So everybody shut the f*** up and focus. No more clowns. Declaring state of emergency won't save our economy but kill it," he added.

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh advised Filipinos to remain calm but vigilant.

"The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the concerned authorities to ensure the safety and security of all Filipinos in Saudi Arabia," the Embassy said in a statement. DMS