Remains of OFW beheaded by Libyan militias arrive in Manila

MANILA, Philippines – The remains of Antonio Espares, the construction worker abducted and beheaded by a Libyan armed militia group last July, have arrived in Manila Saturday evening, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

According to DFA, the remains of Espares were repatriated via land route from Tripoli, arrived in Tunisia last week and was flown to Manila.  The remains of Espares arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Saturday at 10:30 p.m.

Relatives of Espares, along with representatives from DFA, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Office of the Vice President, Migrante partylist, and Taguig City government, were at the airport to meet the remains of the construction worker.

Espares was kidnapped by Libyan armed militias in Benghazi, Libya on July 15 reportedly because he was not a Muslim. The kidnappers demanded $160,000 for his release. On July 20, his body was found in an “advanced stage of decomposition” in a Libyan hospital.

Espares left the Philippines October last year to work as a heavy equipment operator in Libya. He has been working for nine months in Libya when he was kidnapped.

RELATED STORY

Filipino beheaded by Libyan militias