The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Thursday confirmed that one Filipino diplomat, who was currently seconded to the Joint Electoral Committee connected with the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan, has been taken hostage by an armed group.

The DFA said in a statement that Angelito Nayan had been kidnapped with two others of his fellow UN workers, an Irish and aKosovan, at gunpoint around 12:30 p.m., Kabul Time, when they werein a UN vehicle in Karteh Parwan.

So far, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the act, according to Philippine Ambassador to Pakistan Jorge Arizabal.

The DFA in the statement strongly condemned such acts as "pointless hindrances to the rebuilding of the Afghan nation, which has just successfully completed its first democratic election."

"Extremism of this form has no place in civilized society and is a violation of international humanitarian law," it said.

Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo has instructed Ambassador Arizabal to make arrangements for the sending of a team to Kabul to monitor the efforts to release Angelito and his companions, theDFA said.

Also, Romulo spoke with the country's permanent representative to the United Nation, Lauro Baja, to find out the actions and efforts of the United Nations to seek the safe release of the hostages, it added.

The DFA said that it has re-active its Crisis Management Team, which will be coordinating Philippine government actions with the Philippine Embassy in the Pakistan and with UN authorities.

The department also informed Angelito's family of the incident and joins them and the rest of the Filipino people in prayer for the success of the efforts to secure the safe release of Angelito and the two others.