Sulu gov: Time to demand release of 2 ICRC workers

MANILA, Philippines - Saying the Abu Sayyaf bandits are running out of food and ammunition, the government is now in a position to demand the release of two International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers still being held captive by the group, Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan said Monday. Tan said in a radio interview that he will not allow the crisis involving ICRC workers Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter to drag on any longer. “Wala nang bala ang mga yan, wala pang pagkain, napapaligiran ng pwersa ng ating pamahalaan diyan, ng ating police auxiliary [The Abu Sayyaf have run out of food and ammunition. Our forces and police auxiliary have surrounded them]," he said in an interview on dzXL radio. “Sa tingin ko di na magtatagal dahil di na tayo sasang-ayon o pumapayag sa demand na yan. Tayo na dapat magde-demand. Release ninyo or else," he added. [I think the crisis won’t last much longer. We will not allow them to dictate on us. We are the ones supposed to be making the demands – release them or else.] Tan said he is confident the Abu Sayyaf bandits will release the two soon. On April 2, the hostage takers released Mary Jean Lacaba, one of the three ICRC workers who were abducted on January 15 in Sulu. The government has been insisting that no ransom was paid for her freedom. The governor said it is now up to the Abu Sayyaf if it still wants to negotiate for the release of Vagni and Notter, but he insisted it is the government that can now dictate on the terms. “Well, kung gusto nila mag-usap, e di mag-usap. Kung ayaw nila, di hindi na kami mag-uusap. Tingin ko bibiyak naman ito eh [If they want to talk, we’ll talk. If they don’t, we won’t talk. But I think they will crack]," he said. Meanwhile, Tan brushed aside concerns raised by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on the state of emergency he declared in the province last March 31. “Hindi natin paabuso ito (state of emergency) kaya may police auxiliary at local na gumagawa ng pagimbita sa suspects [We will not allow the state of emergency to be abused. That’s why we have police auxiliaries in inviting suspected sympathizers and supporters of the Abu Sayyaf for questioning, and we release those who are found to be innocent)," he said. - GMANews.TV