Filipino victim makes final plea to GMA

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Filipino truck driver Angelo de la Cruz made what may be his last appeal for his life to the Philippine government last night.

According to a video shown on Arabic Al-Jazeera television station last night, De la Cruz asked President Arroyo to give in to his captors’ demands and withdraw its small contingent of troops from Iraq.

Insurgents released an initial video Wednesday showing De la Cruz surrounded by armed, masked men. They threatened to kill him within three days if his country did not withdraw its troops. The deadline was to expire at 2 a.m. today, Manila time.

"Please, (Mrs.) Arroyo, withdraw your forces from Iraq," De la Cruz pleaded in the video. His voice was inaudible, but an announcer read an Arabic translation of his words.

Moments before the tape was aired, the Philippines announced it would withdraw its 51-member peacekeeping contingent from Iraq as scheduled after its mandate ends Aug. 20.

The government could still decide to renew its troops’ mandate, and it wasn’t clear if the announcement was made in acquiescence to or in defiance of the insurgents’ demands.

De la Cruz was reportedly snatched near Fallujah in an attack that left his Iraqi security guard dead. He reportedly worked as a truck driver for a Saudi company.

"To my colleagues in the Saudi company and all Filipinos who are coming to Iraq, I advise you not to come to Iraq, because there are a lot of problems and the Iraqi police won’t be able to protect you, like what happened to me," he said, according to the Al-Jazeera announcer.

The withdrawal of the 51 Filipino troops would have little effect on the 160,000-strong foreign force here, but the 4,100 Filipino contract workers here are crucial to the running of United States bases. The President has already barred overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from traveling to Iraq.

De la Cruz was alone on the video, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit like that worn by American hostage Nicholas Berg and South Korean hostage Kim Sun-il when they were beheaded by Iraqi militants.

Behind him was a black banner that read: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet," and identified the group that captured him as "The Islamic Army of Iraq - Khalid bin al-Waleed Brigade."

The Al-Jazeera announcer said the video was intended as the hostage’s last appeal to his family, government and friends. — AFP