Pinoy Hostage in Iraq...take 2

The article below shares my sentiment...talagang inaalat ang bansa natin...=(

RP to pay hefty price for running up white flag in Iraq: analysts
7/14 2:34:33 PM MANILA (AFP)

The Philippines may have saved the life of a hostage by agreeing to pull its small security contingent from Iraq but could well end up paying a heavier price as a result, analysts warned Wednesday.

Not only has President Gloria Arroyo hurt the country's international standing by caving in to threats, she also puts a million Filipinos working in the volatile Middle East at risk from terrorists who now know they can pressure the government by victimizing Filipinos, the analysts said.

The Arroyo government announced Wednesday it has started pulling its 51-man contingent out of Iraq after insurgents threatened to kill Angelo de la Cruz, a Filipino truck driver they had taken hostage.

"The decision to pull out the Filipino humanitarian mission in Iraq, we are sure, was a very difficult one. But it was a fatal mistake," a daily broadsheet said in a front-page editorial.

"The withdrawal... impoverishes the leadership of President Arroyo and the credibility of the Philippines in the world," it said.

"It does not make Iraq safer from terrorists. It does not make the lives of our workers safer in Baghdad and other Middle East capitals. The decision will even embolden terrorists and make the practice of abducting Filipino workers part of their violent program."