|
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Palace assigns DFA as info source on Nayan case
"ONCE burned, twice shy."
This is what happened to Malacañang, which now prefers the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to handle all statements and updates on the case of Angelito Nayan, a Filipino diplomat working with the UN who was abducted with two other foreign nationals in Kabul by suspected Afghan militants.
"All statements will come from the DFA. That has been our working arrangement after the Angelo dela Cruz case. That has been our arrangement for similar cases," said Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye.
Nayan and his companions, an Irish and a Kosovan, were blocked by armed men in a posh area near the Intercontinental Hotel Thursday. The Taliban has denied knowledge of the incident but a breakaway group owned up to the abduction and said it would come out with its demands later.
Nayan, a junior foreign service officer, has been seconded to the Joint Electoral Committee connected with the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan. Nayan and his companions helped organize this month's elections in Afghanistan.
Asked for possible arrangement or even assistance that would be extended to Nayan's family, Bunye reiterated that they would leave it to the DFA.
Malacañang apparently want to avoid a repeat of the "bum steer" and several miscommunications that circulated during the abduction of dela Cruz in Iraq last July.
It could be remembered that premature announcements about the release of dela Cruz were made including President Arroyo's early phone calls and assurances to the Overseas Filipino Worker's family that dela Cruz was already free and on his way to Baghdad.
It turned out that dela Cruz was still in custody and was only released by the Khalid Waleed Corps of the Islamic Army in Iraq over a week later or after the last of the members of the Filipino contingent had left Iraq. The Philippines pulled out its troop from Iraq, giving in to the demands of the Iraqi militia, to avoid the beheading of dela Cruz and secure his release.
Malacañang, after the incident, had maintained a ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq, warning them against the danger adding that possible Filipino abductees in the future may not end up as lucky as dela Cruz. (JMR)
(October 30, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
