Hostage's family makes appeal
2004-07-09 10:44
Mexico - The family of a Filipino held hostage in Iraq made an emotional appeal to President Gloria Arroyo on Friday to bow to the kidnappers' demands and withdraw Philippines troops from the shattered country.
"Please pull out so he can be safe with us," kidnap victim Angelo de la Cruz's 15-year-old son Ulyses said in a quavering voice in a television interview.
"I appeal to our president, Madame Gloria, please help us. The thing they are asking, let our government give a decision soon."
Arroyo said she was doing everything possible to secure the release of de la Cruz, 46, a Saudi Arabia-based truck driver, but sidestepped the demand to withdraw troops.
The kidnappers have threatened to behead the man unless the 51 Philippine soldiers and policemen serving with the multinational forces in Iraq are pulled out by Sunday.
The family and neighbours of de la Cruz held prayers for his release at his bamboo-thatched house in this town, 50km north of Manila.
A paper banner at the earthen-floor dwelling read: "President Arroyo, we ask for the safety of Angelo de la Cruz."
"We appeal to the government to return my father safely to us," said Judith de la Cruz, 26, eldest of the captive's eight children.
Asking for president's help
She told reporters that the last time he called them by telephone was on Sunday, when he was in Saudi Arabia. He told the family they might not be able to contact him for some time as he was due to drive a truck over to Iraq.
Judith de la Cruz said her father had been unemployed for years until he finally got a job in Saudi Arabia in April 2003.
The man's brother also went on local television to appeal to Arroyo to give in to the abductors' demands.
"We know this is a difficult situation but we are asking the help of the president" Jessie de la Cruz said.
Arroyo told a conference of Filipino overseas workers in Manila that she had dispatched a special envoy to Baghdad, former general Roy Cimatu, to do "what is humanly possible to secure the release of our countryman."
Labour Undersecretary Jose Brillantes said the government was not yet negotiating with the hostage takers but had established lines of communication with them through intermediaries including the Iraqi interim government.
Arroyo had earlier responded to the kidnapping by banning all Filipinos from travelling to Iraq, where more than 3 000 Philippine nationals are working for civilian contractors.
Arroyo spokesperson Ignacio Bunye said the cabinet was studying the government's options.