Senator asks military to stop operations in Sulu

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Loren Legarda on Tuesday urged the military to halt its operations against the Abu Sayyaf group holding captive three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers and instead negotiate for their release. "The neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf at this point in time is of secondary importance to the safe release of the three Red Cross workers whom it had kidnapped," Legarda said in a press statement. The three – Italian Eugenio Vagni, Swiss Andreas Notter, and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba – were abducted in Sulu last January 15 after visiting a water sanitation project at the Sulu provincial jail. She said the safety of the hostages may be compromised in the face of reports that fighting had erupted between the military and the bandit group. "To me, negotiating for the safe release of the kidnapped victims without ransom is still the way to go as through it we can avoid more bloodshed in strife-tormented Mindanao," Legarda said. She added: "We should not be preoccupied with reports over the death of the group's leader Albader Parad because, if true, it may even bring retaliatory moves from the group." As of Tuesday morning, the military had reported that a total of 3 soldiers had died while 19 others have been wounded following clashes with the Abu Sayyaf in Indanan town in Sulu. Six bandits were reportedly killed although no bodies have been recovered. Earlier reports said Parad was hit by a government sniper in Indanan after he and his men tried setting foot on an area being guarded by government troops. Parad’s group reportedly tried to break through the deployment of security forces in the area that triggered a firefight with government troops. Parad was reportedly hit twice on the chest about 10 a.m. Monday. Another bandit who tried to extricate Parad was also hit. For his part, Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), called on both the government and the group holding the three workers to make all efforts towards the safe and unconditional release of the workers. "I appeal to all parties, notably the government and the group holding our colleagues, to move forward towards the early resolution of the incident," Gordon said in a statement Monday evening. "To the group holding them, I urge you to think about who will help your town and the whole of Mindanao if the PNRC and the ICRC would be forced to stop their operations in Mindanao because our neutrality would be compromised should we negotiate for their release," he added. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV