ABS-CBN News
Filipino national Noralyn Babadilla, who was taken hostage by the Hamas militant group during the October 7 attack in Israel, has been freed, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced 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,” the President said on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
With her release, President Marcos said “all Filipinos affected by the war have been accounted for.”
Marcos thanked Israeli authorities for facilitating the release of Babadilla and for all ongoing assistance to Filipinos in Israel. He also thanked the governments of Egypt and State of Qatar “for their crucial role in this process over the past several weeks.”
The President said Philippine Embassy officials in Tel Aviv will attend to the needs of Babadilla in coordination with the Israeli authorities.
Babadilla’s freedom from the hands of the 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 national 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 the Hamas on October 7.
