MANILA, Philippines, July 8 (UPI) -- Based on the abduction of a Filipino worker in Iraq, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday barred more workers from going.
"The safety of our nationals is the primary consideration. The president's paramount concern is saving Filipino lives," presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said.
Philippine Labor Secretary Patricia St. Tomas said at least 120 Filipino workers who were scheduled to fly to Iraq Thursday were stopped at the airport, the Kyodo news agency reported.
The Qatar-based Arabic satellite TV broadcaster al-Jazeera aired a video from a group claiming the capture of a Filipino working for a Saudi Arabian company. The abductors threatened to kill him unless the Philippines withdraws its forces from the country within 72 hours.
Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita told a news conference the Philippines' 51-man humanitarian contingent in Iraq has been instructed to "just to stay where they are and get out of harm's way."
