Two of the four Filipinas kidnapped by armed men on Friday were finally rescued by Iraqi authorities, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Monday.
The Iraqis on Sunday informed the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad that the Filipinas were rescued in Diyala Province north of the capital on Saturday.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano expressed the Philippine government’s gratitude to the authorities in Iraq for the rescue.
“Their safe recovery would not have been possible without the swift response of our Iraqi friends and for that we are very grateful,” Cayetano said.
“We thank God for their successful rescue.”
Embassy Charge d’Affaires Julius Torres said he was informed by the authorities in Diyala Province that the two Filipinas were rescued from their abductors, some of whom had been arrested.
The two Filipinas were together with two other Filipinas who were able to escape from the same abductors. They were on their way to Baghdad when they were snatched along the highway in Uzem District between Kirkuk and Diyala.
There are 4,000 Filipino Workers in Iraq, with around 3,000 based in Kurdistan. The Philippines is one of the world’s top labor exporters with about 8.6 million working abroad.