RIYADH, 9 November 2004 — The Philippine government’s calls on foreign countries to help in the release of Filipino accountant Roberto Tarongoy have not gone unheeded.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced yesterday that Bahraini Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa has vowed to help the Philippine government secure Tarongoy’s release.

Ambassador Bahnarim A. Guinomla told Arab News yesterday that he is in constant contact with Tarongoy’s employer, the Saudi Arabian Trading and Contracting Co. (SATCCo) for any development.

Guinomla had earlier met with Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo who was in the United Arab Emirates to offer condolences on the death of former UAE President Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al Nahyan.

In a statement issued to the press in Manila, the DFA said that Romulo met with Sheikh Khalifa for 50 minutes over the weekend to discuss the issue and thanked the latter for his country’s role in obtaining the freedom of Filipino truck driver Angelo dela Cruz, who was abducted in Iraq last July.

“The Prime Minister said Bahrain is always ready to help in such situations and that he will personally exert effort to secure the release of Robert Tarongoy,” Romulo said.

The DFA also announced that Romulo appeared on Al Jazeera Arabic television to appeal to the kidnappers to release Tarongoy.

Romulo appeared on Al Jazeera after the TV news channel retracted its report that Tarongoy had been freed. In the past, Al Jazeera had been accurate in its report like in the case of De la Cruz.

Tarongoy was seized along with the Nepalese who has been confirmed released , three Iraqis and an American at the office of a civilian contractor in Baghdad a week ago.

“He (Romulo) appealed to the abductors of Tarongoy for his freedom, stressing that he is an overseas worker and just working in Iraq to earn a living,” DFA spokesman Gilbert Asuque said.

“We are hopeful that the secretary’s message would reach the abductors of Tarongoy and would certainly consider our appeal,” he added.

Romulo also explained on Al Jazeera television that the Philippine government has an existing ban on the deployment of Filipinos in Iraq.

In Manila, presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the government is exhausting all measures to secure the safe release of Tarongoy and another Filipino held in Afghanistan, Angelito Nayan.

“We are doing all we can and no effort is being spared to save lives,” he said. “Let us continue to pray and hope for the best.”