By Sami Zaptia.
London, 21 May 2019:
The three freed Filipino hostages arrived in Manila on Saturday. The three engineers, who had been working on a desalination plant, had been taken hostage in Libya in July 2018 by an armed group.
A South Korean colleague who had also been kidnapped with them was also released.
The release of the four hostages was mediated by the UAE, in cooperation with the Khalifa Hafter-led Libyan National Army (LNA).
The freed Filipino engineers were welcomed by the Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr who said: ‘‘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 will never leave a Filipino in danger behind.
Yesterday, meanwhile, South Korea’s president acknowledged the UAE’s efforts in the release of their citizen.
