EDITORIAL - Blackmailed

One of two Bulgarian truck drivers held hostage by militants in Iraq was beheaded by his captors yesterday. His government’s reaction: they do not bow to blackmail and will simply pray for the life of the second driver. Meanwhile, South Korea, which also lost one of its citizens recently to hostage takers in Iraq, is set to send 3,000 more combat troops to assist in peacekeeping in the war-torn country.

Meanwhile, what’s happening in Manila? Three Filipino contract workers had earlier been killed in attacks in Iraq, with only minor ripples created in the Philippines. But the abduction of truck driver Angelo de la Cruz has all the elements of high drama, and the public passions stirred up by his ordeal have made the government take a myopic view in dealing with the crisis: save De la Cruz at any cost, and damn the long-term consequences.

Thus members of the Philippines’ small humanitarian contingent in Iraq started pulling out yesterday. This came about after several official statements that seemed to have been intentionally vague, confounding everyone from the hostage takers to De la Cruz’s relatives. As of yesterday the government’s stand appeared to be clearer, although Washington was still seeking clarification on what "as soon as possible" meant.

The hostage takers must have also remained befuddled, since until yesterday afternoon, the fate of De la Cruz was uncertain. Still, around the world the perception was that the Philippines had caved in to terrorist bullying. The government has made it clear that the withdrawal is in response to the demand of De la Cruz’s captors.

Let’s hope the government has enough goodies to mollify other hostage takers next time, because there is a high probability that there will be a next time, and terrorists won’t lack for victims. Even as De la Cruz awaits his fate, other Filipino workers are waiting for a chance to drive into Iraq from Saudi Arabia, reportedly for $1,000 per trip. In Manila, other prospective contract workers sleep outside an employment agency, hoping to land a job in Iraq for a minimum of $600 a month.

We are bound to see a happy ending in the story of Angelo de la Cruz. But we are also seeing the start of a long horror story that the government will be hard put to end. When one yields to blackmailers, they tend to keep coming back for more.