UN sends negotiating team to Kabul

The United Nations has sent a special team to Kabul, Afghanistan to work on the safe release of a junior Filipino diplomat and two other UN workers held hostage by suspected Taliban militants, officials said yesterday.

Foreign affairs undersecretary for special concerns Rafael Seguis said the Philippine government is coordinating with the UN, which is directly working with Afghan authorities, for Nayan’s release.

President Arroyo, saying the Philippine government had done its part, is leaving the fate of Angelito Nayan in God’s hands and asked Filipinos to join her in praying for his safe release.

Meanwhile, Nayan’s neighbors in Casimiro Townhomes in Las Piñas City started a prayer vigil Friday night. They vowed to continue the vigil until he is safely home.

In a statement, officers of the homeowners’ association said they hope Nayan will come home safe, "just like what happened to Angelo dela Cruz," the truck driver held hostage by Iraqi militants in July this year.

Dela Cruz was freed unharmed after three weeks when Manila gave in to his kidnappers’ demand to pull out its token military presence, a decision that strained relations with long-time ally United States.

"We can sympathize with the family because most of us have relatives working abroad who are also threatened by these abductors," the officers said.

Neighbors of the Nayan family, which traces its roots to Pangasinan, also urged journalists to "give the family a break." They admitted that the Nayans have also refused to discuss his abduction with them.

Asked how they will conduct the vigil during All Souls’ Day — when many families flock to cemeteries to visit their dearly departed — the neighbors said "we will just take turns."

"We trust in God and we hope the government makes the right move. We are praying that He would speak to the abductors and release our brother Angelito," the neighbors said.

Since Nayan’s abduction last Thursday, his family has not issued any formal state. A source said Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials advised his five siblings to refrain from entertaining interviews.

Nayan was on a six-month leave from the DFA at the time of his abduction. His leave will expire in November.

Seguis said Nayan’s case has specific and unique circumstances that the DFA crisis management committee is now addressing because "Nayan is a worker of the UN and he is an international civil servant" but stressed that "the Filipino comes first in the implementation of Philippine foreign policy."

"The committee is putting all the time and effort in the right action that addresses our concerns without undermining or jeopardizing the leading and key role of the UN in this abduction case," Seguis said.

He stressed that the government respects the UN’s wishes to adopt a low-profile policy in disclosing new developments in order not to derail the efforts of those working for Nayan’s release.

According to Seguis, the Philippine mission to the UN headed by Ambassador Lauro Baja reported the special team has the "full" backing of the 191 UN member states. The mission has established communication lines with UN bodies overseeing the incident to ensure that the government is kept updated on the latest developments.

Seguis said the President assured Nayan’s brother and sister that her government was doing everything possible to help free the 34-year-old junior diplomat.

Nayan and two foreign poll volunteers — a woman with dual Irish and British citizenship and a woman from Kosovo — had been helping organize Afghanistan’s first direct presidential elections when they were snatched from a UN car on Thursday.

It was the first abduction of foreigners in Kabul and raised fears that militants fighting nearly 28,000 US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in the country were copying tactics used by insurgents in Iraq.

A group that has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings said on Saturday the hostages were safe.

Seguis said a crisis team in Islamabad, headed by Philippine ambassador to Pakistan Jorge Arizabal, had been ordered to Kabul to work with authorities there.

The Philippines is coordinating with the UN in New York and in Afghanistan and with officials from Ireland and the UK for the release of the foreigners.

"The President instructed us to exert all measures to bring Angelito safely home," he told reporters. "She is saddened that such an accomplished and brave young diplomat has been put in harm’s way."

Seguis said Nayan’s family had been moved to a "private place" to shield them from publicity that may impact on negotiations with kidnappers.

"We ask for the prayers and understanding of all as we await the results of the negotiations being handled by the United Nations for my younger brother’s release," said a statement from Nayan’s elder sister Grace, read by Seguis.

UN resident coordinator Deborah Landey said the UN "is in close contact with the authorities and hope for the immediate and unconditional release of the three UN workers."

‘Abducted by evil people’

Mrs. Arroyo, a devout Catholic, also asked Filipinos "pray for the safety of Angelito and his safe return to his loved ones at the soonest possible time."

Two days before All Souls’ Day, the President issued an official message yesterday saying "we all pray for the peaceful repose of their souls and a firm resolve to the loved ones they left behind."

"We must also thank our Great Creator for the grace of life He has given us. We must also include in our prayers our praises for His love and unending forgiveness," Mrs. Arroyo said.

She said Filipinos must ask God’s "continued guidance to the Philippines and its people in and out of our country. And lastly, let us include in our prayers for our brother Angelito and two of his colleagues, who were abducted by evil people in Afghanistan."

Mrs. Arroyo’s brief message was released by the Office of Communications Director, headed by presidential adviser for communications Silvestre Afable Jr.

In a radio interview, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye reiterated the President has taken initial steps to address Nayan’s abduction, which was reported to her by the DFA Thursday night.

"The President has instructed the DFA to coordinate with the UN, through our representative" Lauro Baja, Bunye said.

Mrs. Arroyo’s directive came following Nayan’s abduction by one of several suspected militant groups in Kabul. "Now if there are new developments, the DFA is the one which would give the official announcements to the media," Bunye said.

He said this arrangement is the same one the Palace followed when De la Cruz was held hostage by Iraqi militants in July. Then DFA chief Delia Albert was designated the official spokeswoman on the case.

Bunye took exception to criticisms that Mrs. Arroyo was playing it safe this time, after some Cabinet officials gave conflicting statements at the height of the Iraq hostage crisis.

"Certainly, not at all. If you recall, the first orders on how to handle the situation (on Nayan’s abduction) came from the President herself," he said.

Bunye himself reiterated this arrangement during Friday’s workshop for all public information officers in government agencies in a bid to have them speak with "one voice, one message" on particular issues.

On the other hand, retired ambassador to the UN Felipe Mabilangan called on the media to exercise sobriety when reporting on Nayan’s abduction.

He urged the public and the journalists to understand the dilemma faced by the Philippine government, which has to rely on the UN to negotiate Nayan’s release.

Mabilangan said Manila cannot afford to act independently of the UN in negotiating for Nayan’s release because this move will endanger the three hostages.

"In a crisis such as this, it is imperative that there be only one interlocutor. The abductors can easily take advantage of the presence of two or more negotiators by playing one against the other," he said. — With Marichu Villanueva, Edu Punay