By Genalyn Kabiling Apart from deploying sea vessels, the government is studying the possibility of chartering air transport to evacuate Filipinos from Iraq and Iran to a safe place like Qatar. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos from those two countries following the escalation of conflict between the United States and Iran. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo (PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) "The President has ordered the mandatory evacuation of the Filipinos in those areas, to put them in safety, out of harm's way," he said in an interview at Malacañang. Asked if the government will tap private airlines to take Filipinos out of Iraq and Iran, Panelo said: "Pinag-iisipan ‘yun kasi kapag air assets, baka may problema din tayo doon (That is being studied because if we use air assets, there might also be a problem).” For now, Panelo said government ships will be deployed to ferry Filipinos to a safe and secure place. "Per (Defense) Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana, there is a ship, which we recently bought, coming from Malta and is already on its way to the Middle East, and then we have three frigates going to the same direction to secure that ship, and there are two other ships ready to go," he said. Panelo, however, admitted that the country's naval assets would make a long voyage to reach the Middle East. "The travel from here to there will take you 20 days on a ship at 10 knots speed," he said. He also said two cabinet members have already been dispatched to the Middle East to coordinate with the host countries and prepare the evacuation of Filipinos. He added that the government will shoulder all expenses for Filipinos when they are brought to the safe place away from the conflict zones. He admitted that it might be dangerous to ferry all Filipinos back to the Philippines amid escalating hostilities in the region. "Pag repatriation ang problema mo doon, kapag nagbarilan along the way, nabaril ka o nabombahan, mas lalong delikado. Secure muna natin sila (The problem with repatriation is if there will be shooting along the way, you might get hit by a bullet or a bomb. It will be more dangerous. We have to secure them first)," he said. Asked if Filipinos refuse to leave Iraq and Iran, Panelo said the government can't do anything about it. "Like those married to Iranians, you can't force them to leave."