Philippine military keeps mum on Red Cross staff kidnapping

Manila - The Philippine military kept mum on Saturday on the continuing efforts to rescue three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers seized by Islamist militants earlier in the week.

First Lieutenant Esteffani Cacho, spokeswoman for the armed forces' Western Mindanao Command, said the military will no longer provide updates regarding the kidnappings of Swiss Andreas Notter, 38; Eugenio Vagni, 62; and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, 44.

The three had just visited the provincial jail on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila on Thursday when suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels blocked the path of their vehicle and seized them.

"This is not a media blackout but rather a precaution to ensure that the operations on the ground is not compromised and that the safety of the victims is not jeopardized," she said in a statement.

Cacho, however, assured that the military will release information about major developments in the rescue operations.

More than 1,500 government troops have scoured the mountains of Jolo island, a known lair of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels, in a bid to rescue the abducted ICRC personnel.

Police said it has taken into custody a witness who can help identify the kidnappers.

On Friday, Cacho said that based on initial field reports, it Abu Sayyaf Commander Alpader Parad's group had seized the ICRC staff.

ICRC spokesman Roland Bigler said the three victims were visiting the provincial jail where they have been carrying out a water and sanitation project to improve the conditions of detainees.

Bigler said that despite the abductions, the ICRC will continue its various humanitarian work in the strife-torn southern region of Mindanao.

The Abu Sayyaf has been responsible for deadly terrorist attacks in the country.

It is also notorious for high-profile kidnapping-for-ransom cases, including the abduction of 21 European tourists and Asian workers from a Malaysian resort island in 2000. The hostages were ransomed off for millions of dollars before they were freed months later. (dpa)

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