Posted on 07/18/2004 3:29:53 AM PDT by Piefloater
Angelo de la Cruz has come to represent all Filipinos working overseas, and his safety justifies Manila’s decision to pull its troops out of Iraq despite commitments to foreign allies, the President’s spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, said on Saturday.
Bunye said in a statement that the Filipino hostage “has become the Filipino everyman. A symbol of the hardworking Filipino who has ventured to foreign lands to earn an honest living.”
The statement, which will be carried as a column in state-owned newspapers, called on the public to “unite and save de la Cruz by supporting the government and President Arroyo.”
De la Cruz’s captors have threatened to behead him if Manila doesn’t pull its humanitarian mission out of Iraq by the end of July. Mrs. Arroyo’s decision to withdraw the 51 Filipino soldiers and police officers ahead of schedule has drawn sharp criticism from her allies.
The United States and Australia have said the withdrawal amounts to capitulation to terrorism and warned that it will not buy Filipinos’ immunity from further attacks.
“Whatever the outcome of this hostage drama, we can assure everyone that President Arroyo has done what needs to be done and she has delivered the optimum response to this issue both to the Filipino people and the world,” Bunye said.
Asked in a radio interview if the withdrawal would weaken the Philippines’ international standing, Bunye replied, “What we think of, first and foremost, is the national interest of the Philippines.”
This came as an air transport official confirmed that the first 10 Philippine peacekeepers to leave Iraq would return home Monday on a Kuwaiti Airlines flight as part of the pullout demanded by the kidnappers.
Brig. Gen. Jovito Palparan, the head of the mission who left Iraq with the 10 peacekeepers, will remain in Jordan for unspecified reasons, the official said.
The Arroyo administration has said the rest of the contingent would be following them “shortly.”
It was not clear when the rest of the soldiers and policemen would be withdrawn or how many were still in Iraq.
A well-placed government source said intermediaries in Iraq told them the militants have said they would likely free de la Cruz by the end of the month if the contingent is withdrawn as soon as possible.
Bunye assured de la Cruz’s family that his safety was Mrs. Arroyo’s primary concern.
“Malacañang is doing everything in its power to deliver Angelo back to his family,” Bunye said.
Manila’s announcement deprives the United States of another ally in Iraq. Spain and several Latin American countries withdrew their troops after the deadly Madrid train bombings in March.
About seven million Filipinos work abroad, sending back more than US$7.5 billion a year, and they and their families are a formidable political force in the country.
Mrs. Arroyo’s decision to give in to the kidnappers is seen by analysts as a move to shore up her shaky domestic standing even if it weakens Philippine credibility overseas.
Bunye justified this, saying that Manila had to be careful to avoid angering the militants holding de la Cruz.
I think they are already angry Ignacio.
Am I missing something here? This just seems too piss weak to believe.
Don't hold back mate...tell us what you really think :)
I read an AP wire service report that some Islamist website in Egypt had posted new videos on Saturday of a beheading. The victim was described as an American, but so far I haven't seen any other information about it anywhere.
Let the Japanese garrison the Phillipines next time.
They are fools. They've got the Muslims over there chopping heads for a long time now. This may save this man's life (probably not) but it's definately going to cost more lives down the road.
The Philipine gov't should increase their presence in Iraq a hundred fold, and assign each and every solider the job of hunting down and killing those people who kidnapped de la Cruz. That's what I would do.
The terrorists will behead the hostage anyway.
Mrs. Arroyo does seems to be making decisions based on emotion and short term political gain. But I guess she's the President of the sixth most populous nation on earth and I'm not.
Don't sell the ladies short. Remember a certain Mrs. Thatcher ?
Sure, and she's exceptional. I'm sure there are a few like Mrs. Thatcher that could make good sound decisions about war, etc. but IMO they are extremely rare. It just doesn't come natural to the majority of women. Of course there is Hillary. Hillary would make a great dictator!
Women have their place in the military too, but not on the front lines. I can't help but feel that most men would spend too much time protecting the women than they would fighting and protecting themselves. If I had a son it would terrify me to know he had a twenty something female watching his back. I do have a 30 year old daughter and I can't imagine her fighting among men. Maybe I'm just too old-fashioned. :-)
The next time Manila asks for U.S. help in combating terrorist activities on its own soil, we should refuse. Perhaps Manila will learn that only by sticking together, with everyone sacrificing, can we hope to win this war.
I believe that this decision has two major, negative side-effects for the Phils:
1. Filipinos working in other Arab states are at greater risk now - if another group wants to get concessions of one kind or another they can just kidnap more Filipinos
2. If the govt negotiated with these murderous Muslims, they have no logical reason to refuse to negotiate with Abu Sayyaf and MILF, two jihadi groups fighting in the Phils.
Israeli women are on the front lines and always have been. Other nations could be included in a list, beginning with the Israelis.
I get the picture in my mind of thousands of American servicemen and civilians marching to Japanese prison camps yet America promising to return and free the Philippines at the hazard of those hostages.
I think that was the beheading of the guy in Saudi Arabia. Paul Johnson?
They were describing it in an article here yesterday. They did it while he was lying facedown on a bed. That's the Johnson tape.
I agree with you for the most part. There are exceptions of course, but it is harder for most women.
I think I could do it, but my daughter wouldn't be able to.
Most of the women I know couldn't do it either.
But my work experience has probably made it a bit easier for me to feel that way.
I just read your profile and I think you could too. I'm a farm girl and grew up on tractors, broke horses to ride, etc. so I'm not a weakling either but I would not want to be in the service. I'd rather leave that to the men. Personally, I can't stand violence. The young girls that I know have no business in the military. I'm sure you know what I mean. Like you said, there are exceptions but they seem to be few.
I definitely think it would be easier to be in a decison making position than in actual combat.
I don't really like the idea of women in combat either.
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