Ex-Hamas captive home for Christmas
Noralyn Babadilla, another Filipino who remains unaccounted for following the 7 October surprise attack, is still missing
Daily TribuneNoralyn Babadilla, another Filipino who remains unaccounted for following the 7 October surprise attack, is still missing
Gelienor "Jimmy" Pacheco, a Filipino who is one of the freed hostages by the Palestinian Sunni-Islamic extremist group Hamas, is planning to return to the Philippines next month.
According to Eduardo de Vega, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs, Pacheco intends to spend Christmas with his family next month.
"He does plan to come home and visit his family next month for Christmas. No fixed dates yet," De Vega told Daily Tribune in a Viber message.
Pacheco, a 33-year-old Filipino caregiver, is among the first batch of hostages freed by Hamas following their surprise cross-border attack in Israel on 7 October.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed Pacheco's release on Sunday.
The Israel Embassy in the Philippines said Pacheco was welcomed by senior representatives from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alongside Philippine Ambassador to Israel Junie Laylo.
Upon his release, Pacheco received medical evaluations at Shamir Medical Center, one of the largest government hospitals in Israel.
Despite being held captive by Hamas for more than a month, Pacheco has no plans to return to the Philippines for good, De Vega said.
"He is remaining in Israel for the time being as he wants to continue working there," the DFA official said.
Meanwhile, Noralyn Babadilla, another Filipino who remains unaccounted for following the 7 October surprise attack, is still missing, according to the department.
"Unfortunately, none," De Vega said when asked whether the department had information about Babadilla's whereabouts.
Like Pacheco, Babadilla is believed to have also been taken hostage by Hamas along with the other 200 individuals from Israel.
The president vowed to locate and free the Filipina migrant worker should she also be proven to be held captive by Hamas.
"We remain concerned over the whereabouts of our other national, Ms. Noralyn Babadilla, and are sparing no effort to locate and secure her if she is indeed found to be one of the hostages," he said. "We pray for the continued success of the truce and for all hostages to be released."