Troops moving with urgency for last ICRC hostage

MANILA, Philippines - The government has deployed more troops in Sulu in a last-ditch effort to rescue the remaining Red Cross worker held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf, a day after the unexpected rescue of Swiss national Andreas Notter.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro stressed the sense of urgency to rescue Italian Eugenio Vagni from the Abu Sayyaf.

Vagni is the last of the three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf last Jan. 15.

The Italian is reportedly suffering from hernia and hypertension, which officials said need urgent medical attention.

“The fact that he’s struggling with hypertension and hernia is a red flag for us,” Teodoro said.

“We’re moving with a sense of immediacy and intensifying our efforts to secure his freedom as soon as possible,” he said.

More than 1,000 marines, police and armed civilian volunteers will continue surrounding a jungle stronghold near Indanan to exert pressure on the bandits holding Vagni, while a group of Muslim clerics tries to negotiate his release, Teodoro said.

Sulu provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim said more police forces have been sent in to strengthen the security cordon around the Indanan jungle where Vagni is being held.

Kasim, however, declined to provide other details but other officials said the additional forces included a special commando unit.

The 62-year-old Vagni’s health condition is a key factor in efforts to free him, the military said.

“Ironically, this same medical condition that compels the terrorist group to keep an eye on him all the time (is) a reason why he may not be as lucky and quick as Notter to seize the chance to escape,” the military said in a statement.

Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, designated spokesman on the ICRC kidnapping crisis, said the rescue of Notter last Saturday has effectively weakened the Abu Sayyaf to negotiate, leaving them no other option but to release the ailing Italian.

Coupled with the lack of financial, logistic and people’s support, Arevalo said the Abu Sayyaf’s hold on the other end of the bargain was reduced.

Arevalo said the strong government position of not withdrawing from the area of operations and the policy against paying any ransom left the Abu Sayyaf with no choice but to release Vagni.

“Their sense of reason should dictate that they should release Eugenio Vagni who has a medical condition,” he said.

Arevalo said the military would continue to exert the same pressure that forced the Abu Sayyaf to be careless and allow Notter and Filipino colleague Mary Jean Lacaba to walk out of their three-month captivity in the dense jungles of Indanan.

Notter was rescued early Saturday when his kidnappers were intercepted while trying to slip through a large military-police cordon in the outskirts of town.

Officials have reiterated that no ransom was paid for either Lacaba or Notter.

The Abu Sayyaf had previously threatened to behead one of the foreign hostages unless government forces pulled back.

Sources, however, revealed the government has paid ransom to the Abu Sayyaf to release Lacaba.

“It was (the) government that paid the ransom for Lacaba but not for Notter. No one is released from the Abu Sayyaf without money exchanging hands,” the source privy to the negotiations said.

The source stressed there would be more kidnappings in Sulu and in Basilan, especially with the 2010 general elections approaching.

“Some people need some funds that is why you expect the kidnappings to be a booming industry again this time,” the source said.

The source said the government paid P1 million to the Abu Sayyaf to have Lacaba released.

The bandits initially demanded a P5 million ransom but negotiations lowered the ransom to P1 million paid shortly before Lacaba was released last April 2.

Meanwhile, Notter was reportedly released after a much higher ransom was paid. The source did not reveal who supposedly paid the ransom for the Swiss.

“Much, much higher price,” the source said. “His (Notter) freedom did not come cheap.”  – AP, James Mananghaya, Edith Regalado