Three Filipino civil engineers taken hostage in Libya in 2018 arrived in Manila on Saturday.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr welcomed the three who flew to Manila along with ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hjayceelyn Quintana.
“We are glad that we were able to bring them home alive and safe to their families. These Filipinos coming home to their families are living proof that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will never leave a Filipino in danger behind,” Locsin said.
The DFA, through the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs, shouldered their airline tickets to Manila and provided them cash assistance.
The release of the hostages was mediated by the UAE, which worked with the Libyan National Army led by commander Khalifa Haftar.
The three Filipinos and a South Korean colleague were kidnapped in Libya in July last year. They were working on a desalination plant in western Libya.
The Emirates is a supporter of Haftar, whose forces launched an assault in early April to try to take over Tripoli from the internationally recognised Government of National Accord.
Since the 2011 overthrow of Libya’s longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi, foreign workers and diplomats have been frequent targets of attacks or kidnappings by powerful militias or the Islamic State group.
Locsin: expressing support
