3 kidnapped Pinoy nurses in Libya rescued

MANILA, Philippines - The three Filipino nurses kidnapped in Libya last Monday have been rescued, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Citing a report from Philippine Ambassador to Tripoli Oscar Orcine, DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said one female and two male nurses were snatched in downtown Sebha at around 9 p.m.

Hernandez said the three were brought to an isolated area at the outskirts of the city in a car driven by a Libyan man.

After an hour, Hernandez said one of the male nurses managed to escape and sought help from a Libyan family who called the police.

At 11:15 p.m., the other two nurses were traced and rescued. They were taken to the police station for debriefing, the DFA official said.

According to Hernandez, the incident was witnessed by the victims’ frequent Libyan taxi driver, who informed their other colleagues in the hospital that the three were kidnapped.

The information was then relayed to Orcine, who immediately contacted the police in Sebha for help.

“The nurses were reportedly shaken but unharmed. The ambassador got word yesterday that the nurses will be going to Tripoli to rest for a while,” Hernandez said.

He said Orcine is awaiting the official report from the police and will bring the matter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure better protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Libya.

The government lifted the ban on the deployment of OFWs to Libya in February last year.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said there are 2,152 OFWs in Libya as of March 2012.

Meanwhile, Migrante yesterday urged the government to ensure the safety of OFWs in Libya.

John Leonard Monterona, Migrante vice chairman, said the DFA and the POEA must ensure that OFWs abroad are well protected.

He said seven Filipino nurses are seeking their immediate transfer to Tripoli for fear of their safety.  -With Mayen Jaymalin