Filipino taken hostage in Iraq

The Philippine government Thursday confirmed that the hostage, who was reportedly seized by a group of gunmen in Iraq, is a Filipino. (Xinhua/AFP File Photo)

The hostage's sister prayed for his safety in Philippines, July 9, 2004.The Iraqi militants have threatened to execute the hostage in 72 hours unless Filipino soldiers and police leaves Iraq. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Filipino demonstrators demanding the pull out of US and Philippine troops in Iraq to save a Filipino hostage rally outside the Manila convention center where Phililppine President Gloria Arroyo spoke before a convention of Filipino overseas workers, 09 July 2004. The Iraqi militants have threatened to execute the hostage in 72 hours unless Filipino soldiers and police leaves Iraq. Arroyo have dispatched a special envoy to Baghdad to lead efforts to win the freedom of the hostage. (AFP Photo/ ROMEO GACAD)

(chinadaily.com.cn/Al-Jazeera)

    CAIRO, July 7 (Xinhuanet) -- An Iraqi group captured a Filipino as hostage and threaten to kill him if the Philippine government does not withdraw its troops from the country within 72 hours, according to a video broadcast by Al-Jazeera Arabic channel television.

    The Filipino abducted was reportedly employed by a Saudi company working with US troops based in Iraq. He was kidnapped by an armed group calling itself the "Khaled Ibn al-Walid Brigade" linked to the "Islamic Army in Iraq," Al-Jazeera said.

    Television footage showed a man sitting on his knees, dressed in an orange jump suit, and surrounded by three masked men touting guns and reading their threat from a statement.

    The group also said it had killed an Iraqi security guard who was with the Filipino.

    An identity card bearing the picture of an Iraqi and a company card on which was written: Hafidh H. Amer, Security Officer, was also broadcast by Al-Jazeera.

    The Philippines has about 50 military personnel in Iraq. Enditem

Philippine govt confirms hostage in Iraq a Filipino

About 120 Filipinos who were going to work in Iraq were not allowed to board the plane at Manila International Airport, July 8, 2004.  In light of the hostage reports, the government Thursday ordered an immediate halt to the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to Iraq. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) 

    MANILA, July 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The Philippine government Thursday confirmed that the hostage, who was reportedly seized by a group of gunmen in Iraq, is a Filipino.

    Philippine Embassy in Iraq charge d'affaires Ricardo Endaya said that the man, who is a truck driver in a Saudi-based company working in Iraq, was kidnapped near Fallujah with his Iraqi security escort.

    Even before the confirmation, Endaya said that he was 95 percent sure that the foreigner taken hostage by Iraqi gunmen is a Filipino.

    "We are presuming that he is Filipino because if he is beheaded and it turns out that he is a Filipino and we did nothing the repercussions would be big," he said.

    The Arabic television station, al-Jazeera, broadcast earlier on Thursday a footage showing that three masked gunmen, calling itself the "Khaled Ibn al-Walid Brigade" linked to the "Islamic Army in Iraq," threatened to kill the hostage, who was in orange and kneeling in front of them, if the Philippine government will not pull out of its troops in Iraq in 72 hours.

    The Philippine government earlier said that the country will try all to save the hostage's lives if it is confirmed that he is a Filipino.

    However, Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that the government will not make a decision until Roy Cimatu, head of the Middle East Preparedness Team which is tasked to look after the welfare of Filipinos in the Middle East, confirms the identity of the hostage.

    Ermita said that it will be up to Cimatu to recommend the pullout of the Filipino contingent in Iraq.

    Cimatu earlier said that if the abducted man was Filipino, the Philippine government would negotiate with the militants in a "low-key way."

    He said he had ordered Philippine diplomatic posts in Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to ban Filipino drivers from going to Iraq.     

    The Philippines, which has been firm alliance with the United States in Iraqi reconstruction operations, insisted on keeping its humanitarian contingents in Iraq even after several Filipinos were killed in separate attacks there.

    The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment earlier said that it was set to lift the ban on deployment of Filipino workers in Iraq and deploy 1,500 workers there.

    But in light of the hostage reports, the government Thursday ordered an immediate halt to the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to Iraq.

    Armed groups in Iraq have seized dozens of foreigners in recent weeks. One group has beheaded two captives, an American and a South Korean. Enditem