Deadline extension gives De la Cruz kin fresh hope

MEXICO, Pampanga — Relatives and friends of Filipino hostage Angelo de la Cruz, who is being held by militants in Iraq, prayed at his house into the early hours here as a deadline for his execution passed with no news of his fate.

De la Cruz "remains alive and, as we understand it, will be treated under existing civilized rules," Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert said in a statement. "Additional time has been obtained within which discussions can be continued," Albert said. "We continue to work for the safe release of the Mr. De la Cruz and will exert every effort towards this goal."

Diplomatic sources in the Middle East said earlier the kidnappers granted De la Cruz a two-day stay of execution after the first deadline lapsed at 2 a.m. Sunday, Manila time.

The relatives had already complained bitterly at their government’s refusal to bow to the demands of De la Cruz’s captors and pull its troops out of Iraq ahead of the Aug. 20 schedule.

The family had been told by the government on Saturday that De la Cruz, a 46-year-old father of eight, was about to be freed, but their celebrations turned sour when the militants issued a new threat to kill him if Manila did not agree by 3 a.m. Sunday, Manila time, to withdraw its 51-member humanitarian and peacekeeping contingent on July 20.

Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas prematurely announced what she said was an agreement to free the hostage. The report later turned out to be false.

De la Cruz’s wife, Arsenia, and his brother, Jesse, were en route to Jordan yesterday with Sto. Tomas to monitor efforts to negotiate with the kidnappers, who call themselves the Khaled Ibn-Walid Brigade.

De la Cruz’s friends, neighbors and family lit candles at his modest home yesterday after an all-night prayer vigil for his safe release. Filipinos nationwide have also been observing the candlelight vigil and praying for the De la Cruz.

When interviewed during a stopover in Dubai, Sto. Tomas said the kidnappers’ reported pledge to extend their deadline by 48 hours was a "good signal."

Albert told a news conference on Sunday there was no change in plans to withdraw the Philippine contingent on Aug. 20.

President Arroyo, a staunch ally of the United States, is facing heavy pressure to save De la Cruz, who was abducted last week near Fallujah, Iraq, while driving a fuel shipment from Saudi Arabia.

He is a native of her home province of Pampanga and one of at least 4,000 Philippine civilians working in and around Iraq, many employed by contractors and working in US military bases.

"Mrs. Arroyo should make a firm stand," Wilma de la Cruz, De la Cruz’s niece, told a news conference at the family’s house in Pampanga yesterday.

"She should save my uncle’s life and not consider what benefits she might get from supporting the US war in Iraq," Wilma said.

Special masses were held in Roman Catholic churches around the country and Muslim clerics joined the appeals.

The Philippines sent its top Middle East diplomat to Baghdad to negotiate for De la Cruz’s release and pleaded with the militants not to kill him after the Al-Jazeera television channel showed him making a "final appeal." — With AFP