Close Call for Red Cross Hostages

Now we have good--but sobering--news on the three Red Cross hostages who are being held by Islamist militants in the Philippines. One of the hostages was allowed to speak with a reporter over the phone. Here's what he had to say.


STORY:
Swiss Andreas Notter and his two companions were abducted on January 15th while inspecting a water and sanitation project on the island of Jolo. They are held by Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippines.

[Andreas Notter, Head Red Cross Zamboanga City]:
"It's very stressful and very frightening especially for my companions. We're in the moment in a very difficult situation. The group is under constant alert, so are we, so we have to be ready at any time to move, to move quickly, sometimes during the night, sometimes during the rain, in the mud, everything like this, hours and hours. This is very difficult, especially for my companions. I'm sure you know that Mr. Vagni is more than 62-years-old."

The three are getting enough food and water but their stocks of medicine are running out.

Notter says they are getting very little information from their captors.

[Andreas Notter, Head Red Cross Zamboanga City]: "We are in a very isolated position. We don't have a lot of information. But for us it is very difficult to understand why the government or the concerned authorities are not able to stop this military movement at the moment and at least to listen at the first instance to what they have to offer, what kind of negotiation they want. This is our greatest concern at the moment."

Initial demands from Abu Sayyaf for talks with the country's vice president and the ambassadors of Italy, Switzerland and Qatar were rejected.

Now the kidnappers want the pursuing military off their backs.

[Albader Parad, Leader Abu Sayyaf]:
"We want everyone to know that we never said we wanted ransom or money. We have never spoken to anyone about our demands, and we will not negotiate until the military has pulled out."

The militants are a small Islamic group blamed for the bombing of a ferry near Manila in 2004. The group is notorious for kidnapping and demanding large ransoms.

Category:

News & Politics

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• ntd
• ntdtv
• red cross
• islamist militants
• philippine
• jolo
• Abu Sayyaf militans

[dilostondiuqil]

i've read the bible sometimes... but what is written mostly in the bible is GOD,s wrath...like KARMA...whatever BAD you do theres always a convenient reaction in your life from GOD and not from the hands of MAN...thats how i read it though...

i'm an athiest anyway...thats why i tried so hard understanding what muslim and christian religions have done to their believers... its either they twisted their minds or get rich out of their religion...

no point in having a religion anyway...

[69tugotstinots69]

philippine government must try an all out war like sri lanka...now sri lanka's tamil tigers are tamed... armed forces of the phils. should try that sri lankan style until the armed forces will exhaust all its military supplies at its disposal...and tame islamic radicals in mindanao... filipinos die overseas everyday, try sacrificing foreigners for the annihilation of terrorists for once...

[love1234458]

there r non muslims....if there were muslims the will not do this things....... this is not jihad.......this is murdring inocent people.and in after life they will pay the price of what they r doing...........

[dannivince]

My Mom is from Jolo aand she said before this Jolo was Great there no war there everything was peaceful everyone enjoyed a good life but ever since that incident this groups have come and go battling the armed forces and teared Jolo and Mindanao apart..and then worse of all every muslims here are blamed for it and Islam is blamed..this is crazy..

[dannivince]

Most Muslims here dont see Filipinos from Luzon Visayas as Infidels its absurd..Abu Sayaff are like i said are irrational bastards,fanatics and just doing what theyre doing for show..MILF and MNLF on the other hand is not fighting for Islam they just want the land that they think is theirs..it all started in Marcos time that Jabidah Massacre incident which he ordered now look at what happen they created this monsters and were the ones dying for it..

[dannivince]

youre right in saying that we have no future with this particular groups and where tired of them because at the end of the day we are the ones who will suffer if this particular groups continues..and understand most of the politicians that are put into power here are malacanang cronies they re not really voted by the people theres massive vote rigging here.. we are at the same cycle as with the visayas were with the Npa..

[dannivince]

I told you already what this abu sayaff are doing are not accepted in Islamic Teachings i put the recital there to clearly stress when it is the right time to fight back and when to cease fighting

im Muslim and Im Filipino and im proud im not angry at the Philippine Government because for one they allow Islam to be Preached They allow islam to be Practiced and to spread and for muslims to go aboutunderstand this abu sayaff are fanatics and irrational group of people I hate them as much as you do

[dilostondiuqil]

i hope people in mindanao see past their clouded minds that there is no future in either MNLF,MILF more so in ABU SAYYAF...they have to fight them out and invite progress in...mindanao has more to offer in tourism if only its a safe place for tourists...but muslims see that as intrusion by infidels, so what can we do...we let mindanao & give muslim their chance for a playground for their jihad...

so here we are, philippine gov't still playing with extremists in their playground called mindanao

[dilostondiuqil]

in visayas where areas have NPA's...these areas are poor...now that people learn they fight and drove them off...now most of the visayas areas are prosperous... why cant people in mindanao do the same? no investor will invest in areas they see as non profitable due to armed conflicts...how would you nurture your land and feed your families...by kidnappings and bombing? is that a good idea...

[dilostondiuqil]

"your not talking about one man going about and commited murder"

so what has 3 ICRC workers done to deserve such treatment from your fellow muslims? are humanitarian organizations now included as INFIIDELS according to your quran? and what has the philippine government done to you in particular that the government havent done to the whole filipino people in general? why is visayas prospering and mindanao did not, cant you see how will development succeed in areas where hostile groups are..

[dannivince]

Were not talking about one man going about and commited murder here where the court can judge and sentenced that particular man youre talking about a systematic mistreatment and genocide of a group or an army to a group of people here...