Filipino beheaded by Libyan militias

By: Matikas Santos - 10 years ago

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MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino construction worker was decapitated in Libya after being kidnapped by an armed militia group last July 15, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.

DFA spokesman Charles Jose told reporters that the male victim was kidnapped in Benghazi, allegedly for being a non-Muslim, after which the kidnappers made a demand of $160,000 for his release.

The employers of the Filipino negotiated with the kidnappers and were later referred to a hospital where they found the body of the Filipino in “advanced stage of decomposition,” Jose said.

“He was likely already dead during the negotiations,” he said.

No ransom was paid by the employers of the victim, who was yet to be identified.

“According to information gathered by our Embassy, the vehicle he was riding in was stopped at a checkpoint and there were three of them in the car, a Libyan, Pakistani, and a Filipino and he was allegedly singled out because he was a non-Muslim,” Jose said.

The relatives of the victim have already been informed but they have requested to not disclose the identity of the victim.

Armed militias in Libya are fighting for territory amid weak government control of the country since the fall of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddhafi in 2011.

“Foreigners in general become high-value targets for these groups,” Jose said.

DFA reiterated its call for all Filipinos in Libya to evacuate immediately following the mandatory repatriation being implemented under crisis alert level 4.

“Alert Level 4 has been raised due to the latest security developments in Libya, the increasing violence and lawlessness, the closure of major airports, the heightened security threat to Filipinos, particularly in Benghazi, where a Filipino worker was kidnapped on July 15 and confirmed dead July 20,” DFA said in a statement.

“These events indicate that it is no longer safe for our OFWs to remain in Libya. For their own safety, the DFA urges them to immediately contact the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli to register for repatriation,” it said.