The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment has sent a representative to assist more than 50 Filipino truck drivers stranded along the border of Saudi Arabia and Iraq, a local television reported Monday

George Gonzales, one of the truck drivers, said a labor attachemet with them, the ABS-CBN news channel reported Monday.

The labor attache assured them that a copy of the documents signed by Labor Secretary Patricia Tomas will be sent to all countries bordering Iraq to prevent Filipinos from crossing into that country.

Gonzales added that he and other workers were assured that they would be assisted in their return to Saudi Arabia. The Filipino drivers have been there for nearly a month refusing to enter Iraq for fear of their lives.

Gonzales said their employers have been pressuring them to deliver diesel to Iraq despite the dangers.

Filipino truck driver Angelo de la Cruz was captured on July 7 by Iraqi militants, who threatened to behead him unless the 51-member Philippine contingent was withdrawn by July 20, one month before their original schedule.

The Philippine government started the gradual withdrawal of the troops from Iraq earlier this and completed the withdrawal on July19, which secured the release of de la Cruz on Tuesday last week.

Source: Xinhua