Troops closing in on Vagni captors - AFP

MANILA, Philippines – The military expressed confidence yesterday that government troops are now closing in on the Abu Sayyaf bandits holding hostage an Italian Red Cross worker for the past five months in Sulu.

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman, said in an interview that recent encounters between soldiers and the kidnappers of Eugenio Vagni of the International Committee of the Red Cross indicate that government forces are hitting the hideout of the bandits.

“These encounters are the result of rescue operations that were launched by the government, in other words we are... now nearing the rescue that we are hoping for because our encounters with them continue... it means our troops are closing in (on the) group that has Eugenio Vagni,” he said.

Brawner said they have received information that the Abu Sayyaf, led by Albader Parad, has been transferring Vagni from one place to another since the clashes started last Friday.

“Unfortunately during the encounters, we did not have any sightings of Eugenio Vagni but the units that were operating on the ground believe that this is the same group that has Eugenio Vagni and that they believe that during the encounter he was transferred to another site,” he said.

Brawner also allayed fears that the rescue operations could endanger the Italian’s life because the operations that they are doing are surgical and precise to avoid harming Vagni.

The military has confirmed that Parad’s brother Gadger was among those killed in last Saturday’s fighting with Marines in Barangay Sionugan in Indanan town.

Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy spokesman, said that Gadger Parad was among the six Abu Sayyaf bandits killed during the encounter where six soldiers were also killed and 17 others wounded.

Parad and his other brother Saddam were both reported injured during another clash with Marines in Barangay Timahu in Indanan last Friday.

Arevalo said Parad’s son Damz was also killed during the firefight, along with Ting and Magdar Jumdael, sons of another Abu Sayyaf leader, Dr. Abu Pula.

Three other bandits identified only as Darul, Sallam and Julmillun were also killed.

There were reports that military snipers have already killed Parad and one of his trusted aides, although the information has not yet been confirmed.

Parad’s group took Vagni, along with two other Red Cross workers Swiss Andreas Notter and Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba, last Jan. 15 in Patikul, Sulu while the three victims were on their way to Jolo.

Notter and Lacaba were released in April after negotiations by the local crisis management committee headed by Sulu Gov. Abdusakkur Tan.

AFP chief orders intensified operations

AFP chief of staff Gen. Victor Ibrado directed military units to intensify the operations against the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers of Vagni.

“We have not changed the order but we have issued the instruction of the President (Arroyo) to intensify operations. If possible they have to double or triple the operation to neutralize all the Abu Sayyaf,” Ibrado told newsmen in Zamboanga City.

Ibrado arrived in the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) and visited the Camp Navarro General Hospital (CNGH) where he awarded medals to the 20 Marines who were wounded in the fighting last week in Indanan.

The AFP chief also distributed cash and food to the wounded soldiers before he paid respects to the seven slain Marines who are lying in state at a chapel inside the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) base.

Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of the counterterrorist Task Force Comet, disclosed that the military got reports Vagni is in the area.

“But as far as we know one or two of their commanders is now guarding Vagni,” Sabban said.

Meanwhile, the military said that close to a hundred Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels were killed, while scores were wounded after clashes with government troops last week in Guindulungan and Talayan towns in Maguindanao.

Brawner said the AFP is verifying reports that more than 90 MILF rebels under commander Ameril Umbra Kato were slain last Thursday.

The operations have also resulted in the recovery of close to 50 pieces of improvised explosive devices, which according to the military, could have been used against government forces and civilians.

Troopers also overran three main camps and five satellite camps of the rebel group in the clashes.

Col. Medardo Geslani, chief of the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade, said that their troops encountered a big group of MILF rebels.

This developed as Western Visayas Regional Police director Chief Superintendent Isagani Cuevas reported that a police officer shot dead a police rookie during a break in pursuit operations against the Abu Sayyaf in Indanan.

Police Officer 2 Gilbert Montebon of the 6th Regional Mobile Group gunned down PO1 June Aficionado during a quarrel at the police camp in Barangay Timbangan.

Cuevas said both policemen were part of the Western Visayas Regional Police augmentation force for the ongoing operations to rescue Vagni.

He said Montebon, who had an earlier drinking session with a group of Marines, returned to their camp and later had a fight with Aficionado. – With Roel Pareño, Cecile Suerte Felipe, Dennis Carcamo