Malacañang is monitoring reports of a possible Iranian drone attack on California, home to over 1.6 million Filipinos, though U.S. officials have stated the threat is not credible or imminent. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro stressed that the government cannot dismiss such information given the size of the Filipino community in the state. The warning originates from an FBI bulletin issued before the recent escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict.
On Thursday, March 12, Malacañang stated it is monitoring reports of an FBI document warning of a possible Iranian drone attack on California. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, during a press briefing, said the government must prepare for the safety of Filipinos there and cannot ignore such information. "When there is such information, our country really needs to prepare for our countrymen, and we cannot ignore or sleep on it. We also need to be alert to whatever may happen to our countrymen in California," Castro said in mixed English and Filipino.
According to a Reuters report, the FBI bulletin was issued in late February and distributed to California law enforcement before the Middle East war broke out on February 28. It noted that as of early February, Iran "allegedly aspired" to conduct a drone attack from a vessel at sea against California targets in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iran.
However, U.S. and California officials have downplayed concerns, stating there is no known specific threat behind the memo. Governor Gavin Newsom said the state is not aware of any imminent threats but remains prepared for emergencies. California hosts the largest Filipino population in any U.S. state, with an estimated 1.6 million Filipinos, accounting for 38% of the 4.4 million Filipinos nationwide, per U.S. Census data cited by the Pew Research Center.
The Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment, saying it had no information yet. The regional war began with massive U.S. and Israeli bombardments of Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and other top officials. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. bases, resulting in the deaths of several U.S. soldiers.