Angelo dela Cruz

Angelo dela Cruz is a 46 year-old native of the Philippines who was abducted near the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Wednesday, July 7, 2004. Iraqi insurgents threatened to kill dela Cruz, a truck driver, unless the Philippine government agreed to withdraw its troops from Iraq by July 20th, a month before the scheduled departure of the 51 soldiers and police who are serving there. The captors originally demanded that the government of the Filipino hostage decide by 11 p.m. Baghdad time on Sunday, July 12, but then extended the deadline until Tuesday July 13th. As the deadline for the decision approached, the government of the Philippines said that it would withdraw its troops "as soon as possible". And indeed, the Philippine government moved up its withdrawal of troops, becoming the first government to give in demands to insurgents. On July 21, 2004 Angelo dela Cruz was returned home safely.

Last updated: July 22, 2004.