Money changed hands for Vagni release - Sulu official

MANILA, Philippines - A provincial official in Sulu province on Sunday admitted that money changed hands for the release of kidnapped Italian aid worker Eugenio Vagni but denied it was for ransom. Lady Ann Sahidulla, vice governor of Sulu province and lead negotiator of the Crisis Management Committee, said the P50,000 handed over to Vagni’s captors came from her pocket and that it was given “for goodwill." “They asked that I give them any amount, for cigarettes, so I gave them P50,000 from my pocket, for goodwill," Sahidulla told dzBB radio in an interview on Sunday morning. She also denied that the release of 62-year-old Vagni was a case of a "prisoner swap" involving the two wives of Albader Parad, leader of the Abu Sayyaf faction in Sulu who abducted Vagni and his two other companions from the International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC) last Jan. 15. The two, Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba and Swiss Andreas Notter, were released on April 2 and April 18, respectively. Wives Parad’s wives, Rowena "Honey" Aksan and Nursima "Simang" Annuden, were taken into custody by Marines last Tuesday at a checkpoint in Indanan town, also in Sulu. Four suspected Abu Sayyaf members were also taken in with them. But Sahidulla, who said she took custody of Aksan and Annuden shortly after that, clarified that the six were not arrested but were merely invited for questioning for riding around on unregistered motorcycles. She also said the two were released to Parad himself at 4 p.m. Saturday. “Meron nagtanong sa akin na i-treat na lang (na) swapping, sabi ko hindi kasi hindi naman papayag ang mga ‘yun na ganung sitwasyon [This is not a case of swapping because the Abu Sayyaf will not allow such thing to happen]," she said. The Abu Sayyaf is a loosely-organized group of bandits that has links with Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda international terrorist network. Sahidulla said Parad's fear for his wives' safety could have contributed to Vagni's release. “Maybe because of his wives," she said when asked on what prompted the bandit group to release the foreign aid worker after six months of holding him captive.
Release Navy Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, the military's designated spokesman on the hostage crisis, said Vagni was released around 12:30 a.m. at Barangay Lagasan Asibih in Maimbung town. He said the release of Vagni had been in the works since Friday night. In the initial plan, Vagni would be fetched by Sahidulla in Talipao town, but for a still unknown reason, he was "abandoned" in Maimbung. "He was abandoned and was picked up by government troops," he said. Arevalo said Vagni's release was a result of months of negotiations and pressure from government forces. "Skillful negotiations and incessant pressure by relentless operations by members of the security forces won the release of Vagni," he said. After his release, Vagni, looking tired and emaciated, was brought to the headquarters of the 3rd Marine Brigade in Jolo town where he underwent a medical checkup. Doctors found him to be in good health. The Italian was then flown to the headquarters of the military’s Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City where he was welcomed by Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado who then turned him over to ICRC representatives. Vagni arrived Manila on board a commercial flight at about 11 a.m. Welcome The release of Vagni was welcomed both here and abroad, from Malacañang all the way to Vatican City. “We are happy about the safe release of Mr. Vagni. We would like to commend the local crisis management committee of Sulu, police and military forces, and all those who have in one way or another helped in eventual safe release of Mr. Vagni," Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said on government-run dzRB radio. At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI felt relieved that the abduction was over and took Vagni's release as a "sign of hope and of faith," Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency ANSA. Vagni's colleagues also celebrated his much awaited release and expressed gratitude to those who worked hard to solve the hostage crisis. “The ICRC is relieved and happy that Mr. Vagni will soon be back with his family and friends, who have been living a painful nightmare for almost six months and cannot wait to see him return home," said Jean-Daniel Tauxe, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in the Philippines, in a statement. - GMANews.TV with AP