Italian priest not in our custody — MILF

The separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) denied yesterday that kidnapped Italian priest Giuseppe Pierantoni was already in their custody.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu belied reports that the priest, kidnapped on Oct. 17 in Dimataling, Zamboanga del Sur, was in the hands of a rebel commander and being detained inside the MILF’s Camp Rajamuda in Sultan Gumander, Lanao del Sur.

Meanwhile, in Rome, Pierantoni’s mother Giuseppina appealed for his son’s release, saying that, once free, the priest will continue loving and helping those who are in need.

"I beg you, with all my heart, to let him go," said Mrs. Pierantoni. "I’m very worried about him because he has already had health problems, which could re-emerge."

The priest’s mother told the Catholic missionary news service MISNA that Giuseppe "always wanted to share his life with the poor and simple people and for this reason came to your land."

"I know my son and I am sure that once free, he will continue loving you and helping those in need as he has always done," she said.

In denying that they have custody of the priest, Kabalu said they will assist the government in rescuing the priest to prove their innocence of charges that they had something to do with Pierantoni’s abduction.

"Kahit tingnan doon sa Rajamuda, wala doon ang pari (Even if you search Rajamuda, the priest is not there)," Kabalu said in a radio interview.

The MILF spokesman also belied reports that the priest was abducted by MILF commander Faisal Marohombsar and Norman Amil and was turned over to a ranking MILF official, Ali Akas, who is based in Camp Rajamuda.

Instead, Kabalu said Pierantoni, 44, from Bologna, was actually kidnapped by a certain Commander Aguila who is supposedly identified with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), an older separatist group that forged a peace pact with the government.

The authorities, which have formed Task Force Guiseppe to rescue the priest, is pursuing two theories on who abducted the priest and where he is now being held.

According to Task Force Guiseppe head Brig. Gen. Angel Atutubo, intelligence reports indicate that Pierantoni was kidnapped by renegade MILF commanders but is already in the hands of the MILF’s Commander Ali Akas.

Pierantoni was supposedly kidnapped for ransom by Marohombsar and Amil who are known to engage in kidnappings in Zamboanga del Sur.

Police, however, are pursuing the group of Aguila who supposedly wants to move the priest from Western Mindanao into the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Police said Aguila’s group uses two separate teams for kidnapping operations: one for abduction and another for detention.

Police on Sunday arrested a certain Abdul Akmad Mohammad, who was supposedly a lookout of Pierantoni’s kidnappers, and have filed kidnapping charges against 10 persons, only three of whom were identified.

Meanwhile, the MILF, also on Sunday, offered to provide military muscle to go after the kidnappers, "in the proper time, and if asked" by the government.

The MILF had earlier helped convince a gang of rogue Muslim rebels, called the Pentagon Gang, to release Chinese hostage Zhang Zhongyi, one of four people abducted in South Cotabato in two separate incidents in August and June.

The MILF has also disowned the Pentagon Gang, composed mostly of rogue MILF guerrillas, and said they should be treated as criminals.

The MILF is observing a ceasefire with the government, which hopes to sign a political settlement to the 23-year insurgency.

In asking for the help of the MILF, government peace negotiators have said that the kidnappings in Mindanao may be the handiwork of people who are out to disrupt the peace process.

Military officials have said negotiations for the release of Pierantoni have begun with the rebels asking an unspecified ransom but the authorities said they are only trying to persuade the kidnappers to release Pierantoni unconditionally "for humanitarian reasons."

Pierantoni has supposedly been ill of amoebiasis for the past days.