By Balitang America Staff

February 6, 2012

The two Filipinas abducted by armed Bedouin men in Egypt on Friday are flying back to San Francisco tomorrow, after being taken hostage for six hours.

66-year old Patti Ganal and 63-year old nurse Norma Supe, both American citizens, and an Egyptian national, were abducted then later eleased by armed tribesmen in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula.

The abduction happened after Ganal, Supe, Ganal’s husband and two other Americans had finished a tour of the Saint Catherine’s monastery, located at the foot of Mount Sinai.

The kidnappers said several times they would not harm the women. Egytian officials said the armed men were seeking leverage to pressure the government to release two relatives, including one of the kidnappers’ sons.

In a phone conversation with Balitang America, Ganal, the owner of a tour company in Los Gatos, California, said they were treated well by their captors and do not consider them as rebels.

“All of this is an unforgettable memory,” said Supe, a nurse from Union City, Calif., told The Associated Press. “Maybe God had a purpose for this. It was probably to encourage more faith in me.”

The Associated Press reports that the kidnappers gave the women tea and dried fruit, and talked about religion and tribal rights. The California women were allowed to bring their Egyptian tour guide with them. One even put out his cigarette in the car when a hostage said the smoke was bothering her.

-With reports from the Associated Press.