Pray for De la Cruz - GMA
Gov't trying to negotiate with captors of Filipino driver
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday urged the Filipino people to pray for the release of Angelo de la Cruz, the contract worker threatened with beheading by his Iraqi captors last Wednesday.
At the same time, she justified the imposition of a news blackout on the negotiations for the freedom of De la Cruz as special envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu works out a deal with the worker’s captors.
The Iraqi militants holding De la Cruz have demanded that Arroyo pull out a military humanitarian mission stationed near Baghdad within 72 hours from the announcement of the worker’s captivity last Wednesday.
It is not known how Cimatu would cut a deal on the heretofore unknown anti-US occupation Islamic group holding De la Cruz even as other envoys say a link may be established through AlJazeera, the satellite channel that aired the videotape of the abducted worker.
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http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2004071013770.htmlThe US govt. is holding a 30 million dollar commitment over their head for training and other improvements for the Philippine military. If GMA refuses to pullout and give into the wishes of the US it could spark attacks on American visitors to the country