MANILA, Philippines - An official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday called on all Filipinos still trapped in Tripoli to run to the seaport and board the 1,725-capacity vessel Ionian Queen, which will take them to Greece.

DFA Undersecretary and spokesman Ed Malaya announced over radio dzMM that the ship's trip to the seaport on Saturday may be its last in Tripoli.

"Sabi nga ni Secretary Albert del Rosario na baka ito na ang pinakahuli. Huwag na po silang magdalawang-isip pa. Sumakay na," Malaya said in an interview on radio dzMM.

He added: "Ang ating mga Filipino diyan ay tipong magdadalawang-isip at hindi sasakay, hoping pa na babalikan sila later on. After this time, mga Filipino naman sa ibang lugar ang ipi-pick up natin."

Malaya said that a total of 750 Filipinos, including dependents of the Philippine embassy people in Tripoli, are listed as passengers of the Ionian Queen, which, he said is due to arrive at the seaport on Saturday.

He said the DFA decided to include the embassy people's dependents in the list because they do not see any hope that the situation in Libya will improve any time soon.

Del Rosario had said that the Ionian Queen was supposed to dock at the Tripoli seaport on Friday, but they decided to postpone it because of information about a massive movement of pro-government protests near the area.

Malaya said that the protests were supposed to be held in routes that will be taken by Filipinos being transported by land to the seaport and there was danger that they will be caught in between warring groups.

Frustrated and hungry

In another interview on radio dzMM, an OFW in Libya named Boy Mojado said that he was one of several Filipinos who traveled to the seaport to board the Ionian Queen on Friday.

Mojado said they left the Philippine embassy in Tripoli around 8 a.m. Friday and arrived at the seaport after a 3-hour travel by land.

However, upon arrival at the seaport, the Ionian Queen was missing. He said they were initially told that the ship's arrival was delayed.

"Hanggang 2 p.m. ang dami na ng tao doon, wala pa ang barko. Tapos umikot kami. Sabi nila 4 p.m. darating ang barko galing Crete," Mojado said.

He said Filipinos hoping to board the ship waited until 6 p.m., but the ship still did not arrive. They were also not informed that the Ionian Queen's arrival has been postponed for one day.

Mojado could not help but complain against Philippine embassy people supervising their repatriation in Tripoli. He said that the embassy people did not even give them food while they were waiting for the ship.

The OFW did not say if he and the others have left the seaport or if he was still keen on boarding the Ionian Queen.

He said that because of Friday's incident, the Filipino community in Tripoli had a consensus that if the situation in Libya eases down, they will urge President Benigno Aquino III to replace all the employees of the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli "from top to bottom."

"Ang sistema nila hindi maganda. Hindi maganda ang assistance na ginagawa sa Philippine embassy. Hindi tama ang ginagawa nila. Ang report sa Philippine embassy, sa DFA, hindi totoo iyon," Mojado said, referring to the supposed service being extended by the embassy people to trapped OFWs in Libya.