The Filipino national who was released by Hamas after being abducted to Gaza said he thought of his family to keep himself strong throughout the 49 days he spent in captivity.
Jimmy Pacheco told Philippine Ambassador to Israel Junie Laylo Jr., who received him upon his release on Saturday, Nov. 25, that it was also his faith in God that kept him alive.
"Amba, kaya lang ako buhay dahil sa Panginoon. Kahit noong unang araw pa lang na nakuha ako, iniisip ko talaga ang pamilya ko. Habang nandon ako, ang gusto ko mabuhay para sa pamilya ko (Ambassador, the reason why I'm still alive is because of God. Ever since the first day of my captivity, I had only thought of my family. When I was still a hostage, what I only wanted to get alive for my family)," Pacheco said.
Pacheco is now back in Israel, where he is undergoing physical and psychological examinations. He is among the 24 individuals—part of the first batch of hostages—who were freed by Hamas following a four-day humanitarian truce agreed by Hamas and Israel.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Israel, Pacheco is "in high spirits and appears to be in good health."
He can also walk and move without any difficulty and can speak coherently, it added.
The embassy said "it is with great joy" that Pacheco was released, which happened on the holy day of shabbat.
"The Filipino nation shares the joy of Israeli and Thai families who are now receiving this good news. We continue to pray for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza," it added.
The embassy expressed its gratitude for the Israeli government for prioritizing the release of the hostages as one of its main goals amid the Israel-Hamas war as well as for the Qatari government for facilitating the negotiations.
The embassy also thanked the Israel Defense Forces for arranging security in the area, the International Committee for the Red Cross for escorting the hostages safely out of Gaza, and the Egyptian and Israeli medical workers for giving the freed hostages immediate care.
"The Philippines continues its call for the soonest safe release of noncombatant civilians remaining in captivity—especially women, children, elderly, the sick, and foreign workers who have no part in this conflict," it said.
On Oct. 7, two days after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said a Filipina sought their assistance after seeing that her Filipino husband was seen in one of the videos circulating on social media of the captives taken to Gaza by Hamas.
"[The Philippine] post urgently relayed this to the Israel military authorities," DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said in a statement.
"[The] post cannot independently verify his identity based on the video alone but considers the report of the wife as important. We are also working with community contacts on his case," she added.
Meanwhile, one more Filipino national remains missing after the attack.