Filipino Red Cross worker released by kidnappers

Today’s Philippine Daily Inquirer carries the good news of the release of Mary Jean Lacaba (far left in photo), the Filipina Red Cross worker abducted on 15 January in Sulu in the southern Philippines along with Italian Eugenio Vagni and Adreas Notter. The report carries no news about their whereabouts. See post on 1 April.

Meanwhile, CBCPNews yesterday carried a request from Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), for the nation to pray for the safety of the hostages:

Nation asked to pray for abducted ICRC workers

MANILA, April 2, 2009—The public is asked to pray for the three workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who are being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf since January.

For the next following days, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), in a statement, said they are encouraging the faithful to pray for victims’ safety.

“We exhort our Filipino brothers and sisters to reach out to both kidnappers and their hostages with prayers. Let it be a whole nation praying that all may experience true freedom and security,” CBCP President Angel Lagdameo said Wednesday.

“May healing and forgiveness take place, hostilities cease and peace prevail,” he added.

Filipino Mary-Jean Lacaba, Italian Eugenio Vagni, and Swiss Andreas Notter were abducted by the al-Qaeda-linked group on January 15 in Jolo, Sulu.

“We join people of good will in condemning these kidnappings, such as those that recently happened in Jolo, Zamboanga and Ipil, even as we sympathize with the victims and their families and beg the Lord to touch the hearts of the kidnappers,” Lagdameo said.

The CBCP also appealed to both the kidnappers and the authorities “to use every peaceful means to address through peaceful process whatever is at the root of this ongoing problem of kidnapping in order that there may be peace in Jolo, in Mindanao and the whole country.”

“We appeal to all groups of kidnappers in the name of our common humanity and in the name of the One Merciful and Just God whom we worship to grant freedom to their captives,” it added. (Roy Lagarde)

Please continue to pray for the safety of Eugenio Vagni from Italy and Andreas Notter from Swizerland.

Red Cross officials held hostage in southern Philippines

Mary Jean Lacaba, 37, Filipino, Sulu Vice-Governor Nur-Anna Sahidulla, Eugenio Vagni, 62, Italian, and Andreas Notter, 38, Swiss, during a visit of the vice-governor at an undisclosed location.

Pope Benedict has appealed for the release of three Red Cross volunteers being held as hostages in the island province of Sulu in the southernmost part of the Philippines. One can only feel a sense of shame that any group such hold such people hostage. Please pray for them. Their captors, Al-Qaida-linked militants, had threatened to behead one of them at 2pm today, Tuesday, Philippine time, 6am GMT. As I write this at 6:40pm Philippine time, there is no report that such has happened.

Here is the CBCPNews report:

Pope appeals for release of Red Cross hostages

MANILA, March 31, 2009— Pope Benedict XVI made a last minute appeal for the release of three Red Cross workers being held hostage by al-Qaida-linked militants.

The Abu Sayyaf group threatened to behead one of their hostages today unless the government troops leave 15 villages in Jolo island.

The Vatican press office yesterday published a communiqué, saying that the Pontiff is concerned for the safety of the three—two Europeans and a Filipino, who were seized January 15.

Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba were abducted after they visited a water sanitation project in Sulu provincial jail.

Benedict XVI “wants to raise his voice and urge that humanitarian sensibility and reason prevail over violence and intimidation,” the statement said.

"The Holy Father, in the name of God, asks for their release and calls on the authorities to favor a peaceful outcome to the tragic situation.”

“The Holy Father, in the name of God, asks their liberation and begs the authorities to favor ever peaceful solution of this dramatic episode,” it added. (CBCPNews)