6 OFWs rescued in Libya’s danger zone

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines -- Five Filipino nurses and an engineer, who were trapped for 23 days in Misrata, Libya, were rescued in Zitlin by a reaction team from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and then taken safely to the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario was supposed to lead the team, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis and Ambassador Alejandrino Vicente, but his convoy was stopped by Libyan government forces a few kilometers away from war-torn Misrata due to heavy fighting in the area.

Upon the instructions of Del Rosario and with the expressed consent of the Libyan Foreign Ministry, Seguis pressed on and his group was able to later pick up the six overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Zitlin, the city closest to Misrata.

The rescued Filipinos were identified as Evangeline Garcia, Evjoalyn Calam, Catherine Galue, Valerie Joy Ventura, Celeste Cambangay, and Vincent Sanchez.

They narrated how in the morning of March 18, Libyan government forces stormed the area where they were residing and set up camp there – just across the street where opposition forces had massed up.

What followed were days of non-stop gunfighting, they said.

The OFWs said they were unable to leave their premises because snipers from both sides were ready to shoot anyone crossing the streets.

In fact, the Filipinos said one of their colleagues was shot at by a sniper. But, as luck may have it, it was the powdered milk bag she was carrying that was hit by the bullet.

Days later, government forces acknowledged the valuable work of the nurses and moved them out of the danger zone.

Twenty-three days later, they found themselves in Zlitin, the town west of Misrata where they were eventually rescued by DFA and Embassy officials.

The five nurses were among the seven working at the National Oncology Institute in Misrata who were earlier reported to have been abducted and later listed as missing.

Before heading off to Misrata, Del Rosario met with two Libyan ministers to make representations for the safety and welfare of Filipinos.

Libyan Foreign Minister Adelati Obeidi personally assured Del Rosario that he will enlist the help of United Nations personnel to get the Filipinos out of the city where fighting for control rages between government and opposition forces.

DFA: Others willbe accounted for

The Embassy said it is now verifying the status of two Filipino nurses who remained unaccounted for.

The DFA said there are about 100 Filipinos, including 13 nurses, who are still in Misrata with 2,000 more remaining in other parts of Libya.

Del Rosario also told Obeidi about the case of the four Filipinas working in the household of Sahal Shareef, nephew of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who reportedly expressed heirdesire to go home.

Foreign Minister Obeidi assured Del Rosario that the four would be taken to the Embassy where they will be asked whether they really want to go back home.

Remittance, currency exchange shops down

Del Rosario further requested if the government's financial institutions could offer a facility through which Filipinos in Libya can remit money to their families in the Philippines, and allow Filipinos to exchange their Libyan dinars to dollars.

The Libyan Foreign Minister aired the difficulty caused by the closure of international banking operations and by the freezing of Libyan government's assets, but promised to study the two requests.

Assault on Misrata continues

Sunday, salvos of Grad rockets exploded and weapons were fired on Misrata in an apparent contradiction of the Libyan regime’s claims that troops halted operations.

Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said early Sunday the army had suspended operations against rebels in Misrata, but not left the city, to enable local tribes to find a peaceful solution.

“The armed forces have not withdrawn from Misrata. They have simply suspended their operations,” Kaim told a news conference in the capital.

source: mb.com.ph