A Filipino hostage in Iraq was in grave peril on Sunday after Manila rejected his captors’ demands for an early withdrawal of its US-allied troops.But in Sofia, the Bulgarian government said two Bulgarian truck drivers taken hostage were alive after a Friday deadline for their execution expired. ‘‘Now I can confirm the information, which has been received three hours ago that our compatriots are alive,’’ said Foreign Minister Solomon Passy.Militants holding Filipino truck driver Angelo de la Cruz vowed to kill him unless Manila pledged by 11 pm (1900 GMT) on Sunday to pull its 51-strong humanitarian force out of Iraq by July 20. Manila held firm.‘‘In line with our commitment to the free people of Iraq, we reiterate our plan to return our humanitarian contingent as scheduled on August 20, 2004,’’ said Philippine Foreign Secretary Delia Albert.De la Cruz had appeared close to release on Saturday night, before his captors issued a fresh death threat. ‘‘Yesterday was a false hope. He was not released but we are hoping he will soon be free,’’ said a source in Baghdad. He said he had heard nothing since the kidnappers had extended their deadline to kill the 46-year-old driver.Amid the drama of the hostage crisis, guerrillas struck in northern Iraq, killing a soldier in a US task force with a roadside bomb attack on a convoy south of Mosul. The US military said the blast also wounded another soldier and killed an Iraqi civilian.Meanwhile, without providing evidence, Iraq’s National Security Adviser said unconventional weapons material might have gone to neighbouring states during the war last year, adding that rebels were probably trying to obtain some. Hundreds of Iraqis demonstrated on Sunday in support of Saddam Hussein in Baquba. Masked gunmen led the protesters, who chanted against Iraq’s PM Iyad Allawi. —(Reuters)
