Monday, July 13, 2009

Italian Red Cross worker finally freed by Abu

Free at last. After six grueling months of being held captive by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in Jolo Sulu, Italian Red Cross aid worker Eugenio Vagni was finally released last Sunday.

Vagni was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf militant group with fellow Red Cross workers Andreas Notter of Switzerland and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba during a humanitarian mission on Jolo in Mindanao. Notter and Lacaba were released separately last April. Vagni dropped 40 lbs in six months, as evident in his two photos. He was reported to be suffering from hernia and even cholera during his captivity.

The spate of kidnappings and terrorism in some parts of Mindanao severely affects the hapless civilians whose lives are put in danger during clashes between the military and the militants group. Recent bombings in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, Cotabato City, Iligan City, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte; and Jolo, Sulu have also caused the UN to temporarily stop sending aids to Mindanao, affecting thousands of families.

I don't understand why these militants keep picking on civilians to air out their demands. Would killing innocents give them the answers to their quest whatever it is? Why not give peace talks a chance?

4 comments:

  1. I had heard about this gentleman some time ago. I am glad they have finally freed him. I too do not understand, since they have to drag them around the jungle for years, before they ever get anything, if they get anything.

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  2. I am glad they are freed at last, it must be very hard for him. indeed, why not give peace talks a chance, what good is it to use other's lives for our demands?

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  3. Yuppie, one person who has not to die, one saved person more.

    By the way, you use the same code of the EntreCard widget on both your blogs :-(
    Please look into the EntreCard account and copy the Code for Femme.News.Views here into the sidebar. In this case you get 1 more ECs and we from the blogging group blogging for fun, too :-)

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  4. cornyman - ey, thanks a lot for solving the puzzle. =) i sent a ticket to Entrecard about this but i didn't get any reply. hope you can drop on my widget now. thanks a lot!

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