The Philippines yesterday rejected demands by Islamic militants threatening to execute a Filipino hostage in Iraq to pull out its small humanitarian contingent from the strife-torn country one month earlier than scheduled.
"In line with our commitment to the free people of Iraq, we reiterate our plan to return our humanitarian contingent as scheduled on Aug. 20, 2004," Foreign Secretary Delia Albert told reporters after an emergency Cabinet meeting.
The kidnappers holding Filipino trucker Angelo dela Cruz meanwhile extended their deadline by nine days, a senior diplomat said late last night.
"I am told that the deadline has been extended by nine days till July 20. This has given us hope that the hostage is alive and the kidnappers are realizing that he has nothing to do with them," the diplomat said.
The militants have warned that if the Philippines did not commit to withdrawing its 51-member contingent in Iraq by July 20, "the hostage will be executed," according to a statement they issued to the Arab television station al-Jazeera.
The Philippine government said it was continuing to work "both through formal and informal" channels to free dela Cruz, a 46-year-old father of eight.
"We continue to do everything we can in order to secure the release of Angelo dela Cruz," Albert said. "We are hopeful that with the continued support and prayers of the people, we will hurdle this crisis."
She said Labor Secretary Patricia Santo Tomas, who erroneously announced late Saturday that dela Cruz had been freed, was accompanying the hostage's wife and brother to Iraq "in order to be closer to the developments on the ground."
"We are extending our utmost support to the family during this very critical time," it added.
The government's decision came despite mounting pressure for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to recall the country's troops in Iraq in order to save dela Cruz. Labor activists warned the government would be committing an "unforgivable mistake" if it would not heed the militants' demand.
They also criticized Arroyo for lying about the fate of dela Cruz on Saturday, when the president reportedly called his wife to tell her that her husband had been freed.
"Government has deceived the family of dela Cruz and the Filipino people," said Connie Regalado, chairwoman of Migrante, an organization representing Filipino overseas workers, referring to the erroneous announcement of his release.
Jubilation had broken out in the hometown of dela Cruz in Pampanga province, 75km north of Manila, when news came in that he had already been released.
Relatives and friends yesterday resumed prayer vigils, while special masses were offered for dela Cruz.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
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