200 Sayyaf bandits guarding Vagni

MANILA, Philippines - Remaining kidnapped Red Cross aid worker Eugenio Vagni is now being guarded by 200 heavily armed Abu Sayyaf bandits under Doctor Abu somewhere in Parang town in Sulu province, according to police intelligence reports.

As this develop, the Geneva-based International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC) sent its representative to Sulu Friday, apparently to help secure the safe release of Vagni.

“Marife McDumou, a Swiss national and representative of ICRC, arrived in Sulu Friday morning aboard a SeaAir plane and proceeded to the Red Cross Office in Jolo,” Task Force ICRC said.

McDumou’s presence in Sulu further bolstered speculations that the ICRC is conducting their own negotiations to secure Vagni’s safe release.

Citing latest intelligence reports, a Task Force ICRC official said Vagni was recently spotted alive at Sitio Lower Babag, Barangay Buton Mahablo in Parang.

Vagni is guarded by heavily armed followers of Doctor Abu who took custody of the Italian hostage from the group of Al Bader Parad, he said.

He added that the group of Commander Isnilon Hapilon has reinforced the group of Doctor Abu following the deployment of the group of Al Bader Parad as the bandits’ first line of defense against pursuing military and police forces at Sitio Bunga, Barangay Buansa in nearby Indanan town.

The place where Parad and his group set up camp is an area very close to the Moro National Liberation Front (MILF)’s Camp Marang.

Vagni is the last of the three ICRC aid workers snatched by armed men in front of the Sulu Provincial Capitol in Patikul town last Jan. 15 still being held captive.

His two other colleagues, Swiss national Andreas Notter and Filipina engineer Mary Jean Lacaba, have been released reportedly after ransom money was paid.

But Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno as well as Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro maintained that the two were released because of intense military pressure on the kidnappers.