MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) on Sunday assured the public that the ongoing tension in the Middle East had “no credible direct threat” to the Philippines. In a statement, the DND said it was closely monitoring the situation in the region in close coordination with relevant agencies such as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), noting that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is ready to assist in humanitarian, even evacuation purposes, if necessary. “At the moment, the conflict is contained within the Middle East and there is no credible direct threat to our territory and Filipino and foreign citizens in the country. We urge vigilance against disinformation and condemn those who unnecessarily rouse panic during these circumstances,” the DND said. “Nonetheless, the DND and the AFP are ready to respond to probable contingencies, including possible repatriation support and crisis response coordination of Filipinos in affected countries should conditions warrant further action,” the DND said. Meanwhile the Philippines has placed all of its embassies in the Middle East on full alert and activated contingency measures to protect overseas Filipinos as tensions in the region escalate. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday reported to the nation that there no Filipino was reported to have died or injured in the Middle East conflict.