MANILA, Philippines - This is in reference to your news article titled “General in rescue of Red Cross hostages goes on leave - DND” that came out last March 24. It is unfair to assail the good Senator Richard J. Gordon for venting his frustrations on the military operation, which is so far unsuccessful in securing the immediate and safe release of the three abducted workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
It has been two months and 11 days since the three ICRC workers — Italian Eugenio Vagni, Swiss Andreas Notter, and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba — were taken captive near the Sulu provincial jail in Patikul, Sulu. They have been in the jungle of Sulu living in fear and exhaustion everyday. Senator Gordon, being the chairman and chief executive officer of the Philippine National Red Cross and a governing board member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, is rightly concerned for the safety of his colleagues.
It is not fair for Press Secretary Cerge Remonde to question Senator Gordon’s sense of patriotism and responsibility in helping secure the freedom of his colleagues from their captors. It was his sense of patriotism and responsibility that moved him to intervene because the lives of the ICRC volunteers have been put in clear and present danger when the military troops attacked the captors’ lairs.
If the senator’s actions could be called meddling, then his so-called “meddling” produced at least three positive outcomes: first, he averted the abductors’ threat to behead the captives; second, he prevented further attacks that only placed the captives in danger of being caught in the crossfire; and thirdly, he was able to get proof of life.
Deputy Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo’s reminder of the government’s “no-negotiation” policy towards terrorists was uncalled for. Senator Gordon has always stressed that the Red Cross does neither negotiate nor pay ransom to any terrorists as it would compromise the neutrality of its volunteers doing humanitarian operations. He has not negotiated and he never will.
The PNRC chairman should not be denigrated for his actions because the three ICRC workers have been calling him up almost everyday pleading on their knees to save them from the crossfire initiated by the government military troops led by Brigadier General Juancho Sabban. Being the humanitarian and responsible man that he is, he would not sit back and wait for his colleagues to be hit or killed in the crossfire. — EDISON ENRIQUEZ, Volunteer, Philippine National Red Cross, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila, sonedi899@yahoo.com