CAIRO, July 12 (Xinhuanet) -- The Philippines will withdraw its forces from Iraq as soon as possible, Philippine Deputy Foreign Minister Rafael Seguis said Monday in a statement he read out on pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV channel.

    The decision was in response to a threat by an Iraqi militant group to killed Philippine truck driver Angelo de la Cruz who was kidnapped last week.

    De la Cruz, 46, was abducted as he drove into Iraq from SaudiArabia by the group calling itself "Khaled Ibn al-Walid Brigade".The kidnappers have extended the deadline of the hostage'sexecution to Monday for Manila to agree to pull out its 51 soldiers and police from Iraq.

    The Philippine government had insisted on pulling out its troops on Aug. 20 as planned. And the stance was welcomed by the United States.

    The wife and the brother of de la Cruz arrived in Jordan Monday to appeal for his release.

    Besides the Filipino, two Bulgarians and one Egyptian were also taken hostages in Iraq. There was no news on their fate. Enditem