Hugs, kisses for freed hostage

2004-07-21 17:04

Abu Dhabi - A Filipino truck driver, freed by insurgents in Iraq who had held him for two weeks, cried and hugged his wife and brother in a reunion in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.

"I feel like I've been given a new life," said a tired-looking Angelo dela Cruz, holding tightly to his wife's hand.

Dela Cruz had been flown from Iraq on an Emirates air force plane to a military base just outside the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday afternoon.

About the same time his flight landed, a commercial plane carrying his wife, Arsenia, and his brother landed at the Abu Dhabi civilian airport.

The three met at an hotel, running to each other and hugging tightly, tears streaming.

Dela Cruz denied reports that the kidnappers had ever held a sword to his neck and threatened him.

Earlier, in statements to Filipino officials and friends, he had reportedly said that at one point his abductors sharpened a sword in front of him and examined his neck, apparently looking for a vein.

Philippines withdrew troops

"I was treated very well and given food," he said in comments translated into English by Philippines labour secretary Patricia Santo Tomas.

"Yes, I felt fear. Everybody who goes through this would feel this exact way, too," he said.

Dela Cruz had been dropped off in front of the United Arab Emirates embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, freed after the Philippines government gave in to militants' demands to withdraw its small contingent of troops from Iraq to prevent the beheading of the 46-year-old father of eight.

"I'm very thankful to the president for taking this decision," he said of Philippines leader Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Dela Cruz was to have a medical checkup in Abu Dhabi before he, his wife and brother returned to the Philippines. It was not immediately clear when the three would be leaving the Emirates.

Won't let him go back

Arsenia dela Cruz told reporters at the airport she felt no hatred toward her husband's kidnappers and was only thankful they had not harmed him and had released him.

Her comments were also translated by Tomas, who had accompanied her to Abu Dhabi from Jordan, where she had awaited news of her husband for several tense days.

Arsenia dela Cruz nodded when asked if she stood by her earlier comments that she would never let her husband to return to the Middle East.

The United States, Australia and their allies have said the Philippines withdrawal would encourage more terrorism and endanger other members of the US-led coalition in Iraq.

Tomas, asked about such criticism, replied: "The president has made her decision and we are standing by it. I guess every government acts in its interest."

- AP