Pinay in missing list alive — DFA task force

One of several Filipinos earlier reported missing by the Philippine consulate in New York is alive, a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) task force on the US terror attacks said yesterday.

Task force staff said Cynthia Betita, who works for one of the offices in the World Trade Center, has called up authorities to say she was safe and staying at her home in New Jersey.

Betita, who reportedly works for Morgan Stanley, was among 14 Filipinos working in the World Trade Center who are still unaccounted for based on a list compiled by the Philippine consulate in the US. The task force could not provide additional details.

The 14 Filipinos were identified as Grace Alegre Chua who works for Mitsui Bank; Hector Tamayo, working for Vanderbilt Group Construction; Arnold Lim and Carl Allen Peralta, working for Cantor Fitzgerald Securities; Ramon Grihalvo, working for Morgan Stanley; Benilda Domingo; Jayceryll Chavez; Marilyn Bautista; Renato Bonifacio; Marites Santillan; Judy Fernandez; Joanna Vidal and Frederick Kuo.

The DFA task force, which operates round-the-clock in providing information to Filipinos with relatives in New York and Washington, has received more than 100 inquiries since the Tuesday attack.

Two Filipino passengers of two hijacked US commercial planes have been confirmed killed. The government is expecting a substantial number of casualties since some 200 Filipinos had been working at the World Trade Center.

Vice President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona said the Philippine embassies in Washington and New York are continuously monitoring developments, and have made themselves accessible to the public.        

In a related development, Philippine charges d’ affaires to Pakistan Jose Cabrera said there is no need for the government to evacuate 600 Filipinos working the Middle East state.

Cabrera said he is confident they can immediately evacuate Filipino workers "as the need arises." He added that Filipinos have been advised to either move to the capital of Islamabad or stay in their homes in anticipation of anti-US protests if ever military action is taken against Afghanistan.