Nearly six years since the abduction of four Filipinos with their two foreign colleagues from the Ghani oilfield in Libya, the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli has finally found their gravesite in a cemetery in Derna City, Libya.
It was March 2015 when elements of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) abducted Donato Santiago, Gregorio Titan, Roldan Blaza, Wilson Eligue with their two colleagues. Authorities have not received any information or update on their whereabouts for years. They have been presumed dead two years ago.
In an interview with PTV, Philippine Embassy in Tripoli chargé d’ affaires Elmer Cato disclosed that humanitarian aid society Libyan Red Crescent buried the abducted six individuals.
“Itong mga naka-recover, sila rin ang nagdala sa sementeryo para ilibing dahil nagkakagulo sa Derna during that time dahil ginawang pugad ng ISIS (They were brought to the cemetery to be buried by those who recovered them because of the turmoil in Derna during that time when ISIS turned it into its stronghold),” Cato shared.
Authorities are now faced with the challenge to identify the remains since the Red Crescent was not able to do so then due to the war. Cato said there has been a request to send a forensics expert from the Philippines to help identify the remains of the four Filipinos.
“Alam namin may isang team ang NBI na naka-standby to support this effort (We know that the NBI has a team on standby to support this effort),” Cato said.
The embassy is considering DNA testing that requires the help of the National Bureau of Investigation. The request has been coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs. An inter-agency discussion has also been set on the matter. – Report from Naomi Tiburcio
