No respite for troops in Vagni rescue

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Security forces had no respite to watch the bout between Manny Pacquiao and British slugger Ricky Hatton yesterday as they continued the search and rescue operation for the last Red Cross worker held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

“There’s no stopping for our security force. As a matter of fact there’s a continuing effort,” Sulu police provincial director Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim said.

“We might (have) missed the bout but we have a mission to do,” Kasim added.

Even as the military installed a wide screen in an open public plaza for public viewing of the Pacquiao-Hatton fight, government troops and policemen are discreetly carrying out their mission to search and rescue Italian Eugenio Vagni who has been held hostage for months by the Abu Sayyaf.

Kasim revealed a “timeline of the departure of forces” but refused to elaborate on the operation for security reasons.

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

He has been in captivity for more than three months after his colleagues, Swiss Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, walked to their freedom last month.

The government has put up a P500,000 reward for anyone who could provide information on the whereabouts of Vagni and his captors.

Vagni’s health reportedly is getting poorer due to his hernia and he could hardly move around.

This prompted security forces to intensify efforts to locate and rescue Vagni.

Officials said the kidnappers split into small groups in an effort to evade pursuing government forces.

Several military and police operations also yielded reports that showed Vagni is no longer being held by the main group led by Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad.

Close to 2,000 civilian volunteers have joined the search, some were former guerrillas, for the hunt against the kidnappers.

Kasim did not elaborate on whether security forces have already located Vagni and his captors.

A security official earlier revealed troops were able to locate the kidnappers keeping Vagni in their jungle lair in Mt. Tukay, Indanan town.

It was the same area where the bandits have kept the Italian and his two other colleagues.

The security official revealed Vagni is now in the custody of Abu Sayyaf leader Umbra Jumdail alias Dr. Abu Pula.