MANILA, July 20 (AFP) - President Gloria Arroyo said Tuesday a Filipino hostage in Iraq had been freed, justifying the Philippines' decision to withdraw its tiny military presence from the war-torn country.
"I just spoke to him and his health is good, his spirits high and he sends best wishes to every Filipino," Arroyo said in a televised address.
Arroyo stressed she made the right decision to recall the troops a month early in response to a threat by kidnappers to behead 46-year-old truck driver Angelo de la Cruz.
The pullout, completed on Monday, has been harshly criticized by the United States, the new Iraqi government, and other allies in the international war on terror.
"With over one million OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) in the Middle East and over eight million overall, my government has a deep national interest in their well-being wherever they live and work," Arroyo said.
"I made a decision to bring our troops home a few days early in order to spare the life of Angelo. I do not regret that decision. Every life is important."
Arroyo also cautioned her countrymen that a happy ending "will not always be the case. Innocents will come into harm's way, and circumstances may not allow such a successful outcome."
She added: "We must rejoice at the good news, but our happiness must be tempered by the awareness that we live in dangerous times, and that we must work to create a more peaceful world."