Presidential Communications Office
Filipino national Noralyn Babadilla has already been freed by the Palestinian militant group, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday.
“Just days after expressing concern for Noralyn Babadilla’s whereabouts, I am very happy to announce that Noralyn is safely back in Israel, becoming the second Filipino released from Gaza,” President Marcos said.
With her release, President Marcos said “all Filipinos affected by the war have been accounted for.”
President Marcos also stated that he has entrusted the Philippine Embassy officials in Tel Aviv to attend to the needs of Babadilla in coordination with the Israeli authorities.
The President also extended his gratitude to Israeli authorities for facilitating the release of Babadilla and for all ongoing assistance to Filipinos in Israel.
The chief executive also thanked the governments of Egypt and the State of Qatar “for their crucial role in this process over the past several weeks.”
Babadilla’s freedom from the hands of the militant group Hamas came a few days after President Marcos confirmed the release of Filipino national Gelienor “Jimmy” Pacheco by the Hamas.
“With this positive development, I am pleased to inform the nation that all Filipinos affected by the war have been accounted for,” President Marcos said.
Babadilla and Pacheco are among the foreign nationals who were held hostage by Hamas on October 7. PND