Rescued Pinoy engineer in Yemen on his way to PHL — DFA

The Filipino engineer who recently gained his freedom after being abducted in Yemen last month is now on his way to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before returning to the Philippines. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Ramon de Castro left the Yemeni capital of Sana’a for Dubai on May 10. “[De Castro] is expected to meet up with his spouse Glenna and will later proceed to the Philippines," the DFA said. The 46-year-old engineer was based in Ma’arib province, where he was assigned by his employer Aggreko-Yemen. Ma’arib is 200 kilometers east of Sana’a. De Castro, together with a Sri Lankan colleague, was abducted by a local tribe group on April 18 while on their way to Sana’a for a vacation. The abductors demanded from the Yemen some government services such as jobs, schools, and electricity supply, the DFA said. Thankful for rescue According to the DFA, De Castro, in a telephone conversation with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, conveyed his appreciation to the Aquino administration for helping to rescue him from his abductors. During his visit to Yemen on April 30, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario asked the help of the Yemeni government in securing De Castro’s release. Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Qirbi told Del Rosario that Yemeni security forces will help rescue De Castro. The Al-Sadi Group of Companies, the local agent of Aggreko-Yemen, also assured Del Rosario that it is working for the Filipino’s release. The DFA said the Yemeni government, some tribal leaders in Ma’arib, and other provincial leaders helped convince the local tribe to release De Castro. - Jesse Edep, VVP, GMA News