18 July 2004	Sunday	29 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

MANILA, July 17: The Filipino hostage in Iraq has come to represent all Filipinos working overseas, and his safety justifies Manila's decision to pull its troops from Iraq despite commitments to foreign allies , the presidential spokesman said on Saturday.

Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement that the hostage, truck driver Angelo de la Cruz, "has become the Filipino everyman. A symbol of the hardworking Filipino who has ventured to foreign lands to earn an honest living".

Mr Bunye's statement, which will be carried as a column in state-owned newspapers, called on the public to "unite and save Angelo by supporting the government and President Gloria (Arroyo)".

De la Cruz's kidnappers have threatened to behead him if Manila doesn't pull its contingent from Iraq by the end of the month. President Arroyo's decision to withdraw the 51 Filipino soldiers and police officials 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 would not buy Filipinos immunity from further attacks.

"Whatever the outcome of this hostage drama, we can assure everyone that President Gloria 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," Mr Bunye said.

Asked earlier in a radio interview if the withdrawal would weaken the Philippines' international standing, Mr 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 troops to leave Iraq would return home on Monday on a Kuwaiti Airlines flight as part of the pullout demanded by the kidnappers.

The head of the contingent, Brigadier-General Jovito Palparan, who left Iraq with the 10, will remain in Jordan for unspecified reasons, the official said.

The Arroyo government 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 It was not clear when the rest of the soldiers and policemen would be withdrawn or how many were still in Iraq.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Iraq told them the militants have said they would likely free de la Cruz by the end of the month if the contingent is withdrawn as soon as possible.

Mr Bunye assured de la Cruz's family that his safety was Ms Arroyo's primary concern.

"Malacanang (the presidential palace) is doing everything in its power to deliver Angelo back to his family," Mr Bunye said in the radio interview.

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 7.5 billion dollars a year, and they and their families are a formidable political force in the country.

Ms 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.

The government has been under a virtual state of siege since the hostage crisis broke last week, with Ms Arroyo refusing to meet the press and state agencies imposing a strict news blackout on efforts to free de la Cruz.

Mr Bunye justified this, saying that Manila had to be careful to avoid angering the militants holding de la Cruz. -AFP