'I am the happiest man in the world'

MANILA, Philippines - After 179 days of being held captive in the dense jungles of Sulu, Italian Red Cross worker Eugenio Vagni was overjoyed to see his family following his release by the Abu Sayyaf.

“I am the happiest man in the world,” Vagni remarked after he was reunited with his wife and daughter at the Villamor Air Base (VAB) in Pasay City hours after his release.

“They are the source of my strength during my entire captivity,” Vagni said referring to his Thai wife Khwanruean Phuangket and their two children, 16-year-old Narison and one-year-old Liticia.

Mrs. Vagni said no words could express her happiness now that her husband’s ordeal with the Abu Sayyaf is finally over.

“Of course I am very, very happy. I have no more to say,” she said.

Mrs. Vagni told The STAR in an interview earlier that she could not hide her excitement. Her eldest daughter Narison was not able to come welcome her father.

Mrs. Vagni was joined by a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) headed by Jean-Daniel Tauxe.

Italian Ambassador Ruben Fedile was also on hand with some of his staff to receive Vagni along with ICRC officials and top military officials led by anti-terror Task Force Comet commander Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban and Sulu Vice Gov. Lady Ann Sahidulla who accompanied the former hostage to Manila.

Sabban and Sahidulla fetched Vagni from the Abu Sayyaf gunmen under Yasir Igasan in the jungles of Barangay Lupah Abu, Parang town early yesterday.

Settling down at the VIP lounge in Villamor Air Base after several tight embraces, the Vagni couple said they would be returning to Italy.

Tauxe, on the other hand, said they are planning to review the ICRC humanitarian operations in Sulu following the kidnapping of Vagni.

Tauxe said their operations in Sulu would be subjected to security review.

“Normally, we are accepted from both sides. But this time it did not work,” Tauxe said.

Tauxe though stressed the ICRC would not be abandoning its mission in the Philippines.

For the time being, the ICRC would shift its humanitarian operations to Central Mindanao to help the thousands of refugees displaced by the fighting between government troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Victor Ibrado said the military would still intensify its operations against the Abu Sayyaf notwithstanding Vagni’s release.

“Our operations will continue against these terrorists,” Ibrado said.

Ibrado stressed AFP’s mandate to go after the Abu Sayyaf and other criminal groups.

Ibrado has been shuttling back and forth between Manila and Zamboanga over the past days to monitor negotiations for Vagni’s release.

While grateful that Vagni was released unharmed by the Abu Sayyaf, Ibrado said the bandit group is still liable for the kidnapping of the Italian.

Vagni was one of three ICRC workers kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf on Jan. 15.

The Italian has been held hostage for several months while his two colleagues, Swiss national Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, gained their freedom in April.

It has been a bloody campaign to rescue Vagni that left 23 people killed on both sides – eight soldiers and 15 bandits.

Sahidulla, for her part, narrated how Vagni’s release was made possible.

She said a series of negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf apparently paid off.

Sahidulla claimed that while they were negotiating with the kidnappers, a firefight broke out between the Abu Sayyaf and some Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) guerrillas holding Vagni.

“You could just imagine our hardship. We constantly trekked in the mountains. The terrain was so rough that we were forced to walk because our vehicles bogged down. And then the Abu Sayyaf and the MNLF holding Vagni quarreled so we felt the release may not be realized,” she said.

Sahidulla maintained no ransom was paid for Vagni’s release, denying reports that a huge amount of cash was used to buy the Italian’s freedom. 

She claimed Albader Parad, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf, decided to release Vagni because of the pressure being exerted by the military.

Parad’s two wives — Simang Annudin and Rowena Aksan — were picked up by the military in a road checkpoint in Indanan last week.

Sahidulla said one of them even guided the contingent to assure Vagni’s release. – Jaime Laude