Philippines Red Cross Workers Abducted

STORY:
The Red Cross team has made five brief calls to their office in Manila since their abduction on Thursday on the restive island of Jolo in the southern Philippines.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, the ICRC, said the three kidnapped aid workers were in good health but there was no word on who was holding them.

[Anna Nelson, ICRC Spokesperson]:
"We were able to talk to all three, which is very good news. To the best of our knowledge, they are still together. And again the most important thing is that they are unharmed.”

They've been identified as Swiss national Andreas Notter seen here in August last year.

62-year-old Italian Eugenio Vagni and 37 engineer Mary Jean Lacaba, a 37-year-old from the Philippines.

In the latest contact, the kidnapped aid workers told ICRC colleagues that their abductors want the military to call off operations.

The group was seized by gunmen close to a prison, where they'd been inspecting a water and sanitation project.

Police believe their abduction was led by Albader Parad, a top leader of the al Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group, Abu Sayyaf.

The group is notorious for demanding large ransoms --  as yet, no demands for money have been issued.

The Red Cross is appealing for the trio's immediate release.

Category:

News & Politics

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• philippines
• red cross
• workers
• abduction
• manila
• jojo

[tubedude101]

abu sayaff hate filipinos cause there mix

[tubedude101]

abduct more of these foreigners and be-head them

[briantexan1]

why dont you morons kill the corrupt leaders instead of innocent people . how are we going to progress. damm fuckers

[DraGorian777]

God is good but Islamic a false religion. And only a handful filipino is fighting the morethan billion of these criminals in asia.

[mirandagmail]

Burn in Hell Abu Sayyaf! your Allah is long since dead! you're just madmen without honor!