A Filipino held hostage in Iraq told his family in a videotaped message aired yesterday that he would be home soon, but the militants holding him said he would be freed only after Manila withdrew its troops from Iraq.
However, the Philippine military was still awaiting orders to leave, a day after Manila said it would pull its troops out of Iraq to save Angelo de la Cruz despite pressure from the US not to cave in to the demands.
A message recorded by the kidnappers appeared to extend a previous deadline beyond July 20 but said de la Cruz would not be handed over until all Philippine troops had left Iraq.
"The hostage will be released after the withdrawal of the last Filipino soldier from Iraq within a period that does not exceed the current month," the statement by the Islamic Army said.
Addressing his family, de la Cruz said: "Wait for me, I'm coming back to you," Arabic television channel al Jazeera said in its translation of his remarks.
De la Cruz appeared in good health and wore civilian clothes, unlike in previous tapes in which he wore an orange jumpsuit.
Al Jazeera quoted de la Cruz as sending a message of thanks to Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for her decision to withdraw her forces.
Officials in Manila declined to comment.
"We will make the proper announcement if he is already in our custody," a presidential palace official said on condition of anonymity.
Militants who captured de la Cruz had threatened to kill him unless Manila withdrew its 43 soldiers and eight police by July 20, one month ahead of schedule.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert said on Wednesday her ministry was working to meet the kidnappers' demands and that the contingent had already been reduced.
Air force spokesman Major Restituto Padilla said yesterday that no order to withdraw had yet been received and two planes on standby in Manila for an evacuation were now on other missions.
The kidnappers' demand has left Arroyo walking a tightrope between demands at home to save de la Cruz's life and the wish to please the US by remaining in Iraq. The US has expressed grave concern.
"In a crisis, an ally, a friend, helps a partner to be strong and that's what we are trying to do," US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone said after meeting Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita yesterday.
"In a time of test where enemies demand you kneel ... I just ask you please, don't confuse your enemies or your friends," he said.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
RECOGNITION: Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy serves as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region Taiwan can lead the unification of the Chinese people, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish president Lech Walesa said in Taipei yesterday, adding that as the world order is changing, peaceful discussion would find good solutions, and that the use of force and coercion would always fail. Walesa made the remarks during his keynote address at a luncheon of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, titled “Indo-Pacific Partnership Prospects: Taiwan’s Values, Technology and Resilience,” organized by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Walesa said that he had been at the forefront of a big peaceful revolution and “if
North Korea tested nuclear-capable rocket launchers, state media reported yesterday, a day after Seoul detected the launch of about 10 ballistic missiles. The test comes after South Korean and US forces launched their springtime military drills, due to run until Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday oversaw the testing of the multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The test involved 12 600mm-caliber ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies, it said. Kim said the drill gave Pyongyang’s enemies, within the 420km striking range, a sense of “uneasiness” and “a deep understanding
North Korea yesterday fired about 10 ballistic missiles to the sea toward Japan, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, days after Pyongyang warned of “terrible consequences” over ongoing South Korea-US military drills. Pyongyang recently dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, Washington’s security ally, describing its latest peace efforts as a “clumsy, deceptive farce.” Seoul’s military detected “around 10 ballistic missiles launched from the Sunan area in North Korea toward the East Sea [Sea of Japan] at around 1:20pm,” JCS said in a statement, referring to South Korea’s name for the body of water. The missiles
RSS