Vagni's fate still uncertain; authorities lose contact with kidnappers

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The fate of 62-year-old Eugenio Vagni, the last Red Cross worker in Abu Sayyaf hands, remained uncertain as he marks four months of captivity in the jungles of Sulu.

Authorities have not had direct contact with either the Italian or his kidnappers.

However, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police commander Chief Superintendent Bensali Jabarani said efforts are continuing to locate the whereabouts of Vagni.

“The search and rescue operations have never been halted and so far the exact location has not been pinpointed,” he said.

Jabarani said reports that Vagni might have been harmed by his kidnappers have not been confirmed.

Police, Marines and civilian volunteers in Sulu have been scouring all possible locations but so far efforts have yielded only “signs,” he added.

Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan said his channels of emissaries, among them ulamas (Muslim religious leaders) are trying to contact the kidnappers to convince them to release Vagni without ransom.

Alain Aeschlimann, International Committee of the Red Cross head of operations for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said they have lost contact with Vagni since he made his last call to his family on May 8.

“The last time Eugenio was able to call his family was on the morning of Friday, 8 May,” he said.

“While they were of course very relieved to hear his voice, they remain worried about him. Obviously, brief phone calls cannot do much to ease their pain.

“Try to imagine how agonizing it must be for them. They have been put through the trauma of this ordeal everyday for four months now. Their hopes have been raised on more than one occasion, only to be cruelly dashed.” Aeschlimann said Vagni’s family is longing for his release.

“Every day that Eugenio is forced to live apart from his family is one too many,” he said.

“Eugenio is 62 years old. He has been held captive for 120 days now in very difficult conditions, in the jungle, coping with stress and fatigue that never let up. We appeal to his abductors to release him at once.”

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said it is not clear which Abu Sayyaf band is holding Vagni because the kidnappers have splintered into small, mobile groups to evade pursuing troops.

Teodoro said the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf must continue after Vagni is released.

“The Abu Sayyaf should be disarmed,” he said. “There should be no stop to the operation against the Abu Sayyaf.” – With Edith Regalado