Govt dangles P500K for info on Vagni's location

MANILA, Philippines – Still pressed on rescuing abducted aid worker Eugenio Vagni, the government on Thursday offered P500,000 to anyone who could give information on the whereabouts of the Italian. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa made the offer after receiving information that the ailing Vagni might have been “turned over" by his previous abductors to another group. “Our indications point to the possibility that Vagni might have been left somewhere, and in our concern for his health we are conducting pursuit operations," Verzosa said in a press conference in Sulu province. Verzosa said that Vagni “was not spotted" in the most recent skirmish that erupted between the Abu Sayyaf and military troops in Talipao town. The bandit group was reportedly led both by Yasser Igasan and Albader Parad. He said that this could mean Vagni was no longer in the hands of Parad – whose group abducted on January 15 the Italian along with two other International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers. Verzosa added that the P500,000 pot was the government’s means of finally tapping the local communities into helping secure the safety of Vagni. “We know the general area where he [Vagni] is. [But] we want to enlist the aid of the community to pinpoint the specific area where Vagni is." Of three ICRC aides, only Vagni remains in captivity. Mary Jean Lacaba was released April 2 while Andreas Notter gained his freedom last April 18. Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno believed the abductors turned over Vagni in an apparent bid “to hide him." “We think he was separated from the group that is being pursued now [and that] he is being kept and hidden in a particular area somewhere within that general vicinity [in Talipao town]," Puno said. Interior Undersecretary Brian Yamsuan told radio dzBB in a separate interview that Vagni couldn't be considered as “released." “Wala pa pong pinapakawalang Vagni. Kaya nga kami ay nag-raise ng P500,000 rewad para masigurado po at makatulong na rin sa ating kapulisan sa paghahanap kay Eugenio Vagni," he said. Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan, head of the crisis committee securing the hostage’s release, earlier gave a go-signal to government security forces to launch a rescue operation if the need arises. Sen. Richard Gordon, however, urged government troops to take extra caution in using force to rescue Vagni, who had been reported suffering from hernia. Gordon – the national chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross – also said that he spoke with Parad on Wednesday. He said, “a very sad sounding" Parad expressed desire to finally negotiate with the government, still with the condition that the military pull out its forces from specific areas in Sulu. “Sabi niya [Parad] ganun pa rin sila. He sounded very down. Sabi niya sana umatras na sila [military] para makapag-usap na kami [Parad said nothing has changed. He sounded very down. He asked the government to withdraw troops so that negotiations could start]," Gordon said. - Mark Merueñas with Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV