Crisis team formed to search for kidnap victims in Libya

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and the ambassadors in Libya of Austria, Bangladesh, and the Czech Republic have agreed to coordinate closely and create a crisis team to facilitate the search for their kidnapped citizens.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Del Rosario visited Tunisia from March 12 to 13 to review and direct the  implementation of the Philippine government’s mandatory repatriation program for Filipinos in Libya.

“The condition and whereabouts of the nine foreigners, including four Filipinos, remain unknown,” the DFA said. 

Del Rosario met in Tunis with the ambassadors of Austria, Bangladesh, and Czech Republic, whose nationals have been kidnapped along with four Filipinos following an attack on the Al Ghani oil field by an unknown armed group. 

Heavily armed men attacked the Al Ghani oil field and seized four Filipinos, two Bangladeshis, one Ghanaian, a Czech and an Austrian after killing Libyan guards. 

The DFA said no one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and the victims’ employer has not received any demand for ransom.

The four Filipino employees of Austrian-owned company VAOS Oil Services headquartered in Tripoli were kidnapped more than a month after three Filipinos were seized from the Mabrouk oil field on Feb. 3.

The latest incident has brought the total number of kidnapped Filipino workers in Libya to seven. 

The government has renewed its urgent call for Filipino workers in Libya to avail themselves of the mandatory repatriation program following the deteriorating situation in that country and the kidnapping of seven Filipinos in two separate incidents during the past month. 

Del Rosario met with 41 Filipinos who recently left Libya and are scheduled to fly out of Tunis to the Philippines soon.