BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
SOLOMON Islands students in the Philippines have been asked to move into government-arranged hotels or face being left behind.
Majority of students have moved into hotels arranged by government as accommodation centres in its plan to repatriate the students. However, a number of students have not yet made the move into these hotels.
Yesterday, in his special national address, prime minister Manasseh Sogavare gave these students a two-day ultimatum to either move into the hotels or face being left alone to find their way back home at their own cost.
“To our students in the Philippines who have not yet shifted to the government arranged hotel from yesterday, you have the next two days (Friday and Saturday) to all shift to the hotel.
“If you do not shift to the hotel, we will assume you are not interested to be considered under the government arranged repatriation program and that you will look after your own repatriation costs.
“I implore the parents or guardians of the students who are still living outside of the government arranged hotels in Manila to ask their children to move to the hotels within the next 48 hours.
“Failure to do this will mean that any student who had not shifted to the government arranged accommodation will be responsible for their own repatriation. Government will only be responsible for those that are in the government arranged accommodation,” he said.
