RP diplomat: Two trapped Filipinas in Mumbai hotel safe
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/28/2008 8:13 AM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
A Philippine embassy official assured Filipinos Friday that the two Filipinas trapped inside the besieged Trident Hotel in Mumbai, India, are safe.
"I just received a text message from one of the girls saying they're okay and have rested," charge d'affaires Ma. Aniceta Bugarin of the Philippine embassy in New Delhi said over ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda."
Bugarin added that one of the still unnamed Filipinas informed her that as of 3 a.m. (Mumbai time) she has not heard any gunshots and it was peaceful. The Filipina said Indian commandos were still conducting door-to-door clearing operations inside the Trident Hotel.
Earlier reports said the two Filipinas were trapped inside a room on the hotel's 10th floor. The Filipinas were with two Thai masseuses in the hotel room.
The Filipinas are wives of two Filipino sous-chefs at the hotel's Tiffen restaurant. The chefs and another Filipino had escaped from the hotel.
Bugarin said the embassy has yet to receive information if there were other Filipinos trapped at the hotel.
Editha Alba-Khorakiwala, a Filipina living in Mumbai, meanwhile, also told "Umagang Kay Ganda" that no gunshots have been heard since midnight (Mumbai time).
"Ang Taj Hotel medyo quiet (It was all quiet at the Taj Hotel)," she said.
She said Indian commandos were still looking for a lone terrorist hiding in one of the 365-room Trident Hotel. She added that there were information going around that the lone terrorist was wounded.
Khorakiwala, meanwhile, said the two trapped Filipinas could have been sleeping when she tried to contact them around 3 a.m.
Claro Cristobal, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman, said the government in Manila has no plans to evacuate Filipinos living in India back to the Philippines.
Cristobal said the Philippine government is confident that Indian authorities are capable of maintaining peace and order despite the attacks.
He said the incidents of violence and terror attacks were isolated and there was no need to worry about the Filipinos in India. He said there are a total of 530 Filipinos living and working in the terror-stricken country.
'Ghost town'
Khorakiwala, meanwhile, said Mumbai has turned into a "ghost town" as the attacks continued.
"Lahat ng makausap kong mga kaibigan at kamag-anak ay nasa bahay lang. Ang aking parents-in-law ay nasa likuran lang ng Taj Hotel so mga two to three minutes' walking distance lang. Mausok doon gawa ng mga putukan at naganap na sunog sa Taj. Ang buong area ay naka-cordon mga two, three kilometers. Walang inallow na sasakyan doon (All my friends and family remain inside their homes. My parent-in-law live just two to three minutes by foot, just at the back of Taj Hotel. They said that smoke was everywhere due to firefights and the fire. The whole area has been cordoned off and no vehicle is allowed to enter)," she said.
Khorakiwala added that residents have been prohibited from venturing out of their homes because around five to seven terrorist suspects were seen prowling Bombay while some 10 others remained at the hotel.
"Basta lahat sila nandyan pa kaya ang pangamba at takot nandoon sa lahat ng tao dito sa Bombay (They're still there so the people are still in fear)," she added.
On Thursday, army commandos laid siege to the two luxury hotels in Mumbai where gunmen held foreign guests hostage as part of coordinated attacks across India's financial capital that left up more than 100 people dead and hundreds of others injured.
An Islamist group calling itself the "Deccan Mujahedeen" said it carried out the attacks late Wednesday on the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Trident hotels, and eight other locations, including the main train station, a hospital and a popular restaurant.
One of the gunmen holed up in the Trident told the India TV channel by phone that the little-known terror outfit wanted an end to the persecution of Indian Muslims and the release of all fellow Islamic militants detained in India.
"Muslims in India should not be persecuted. We love this as our country but when our mothers and sisters were being killed, where was everybody?" he said from inside the hotel, which was surrounded by army commandos.
