Commies Free Ex-Soldier Kidnapped In Southern RP

NPADAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 24, 2008) – Communist rebels have freed a former government soldier kidnapped in the southern Philippines after more than two months in captivity.

The New People’s Army said it granted amnesty to Jose Manero - who was kidnapped in Davao City in May - after he apologized for all his crimes against the rebel group and victims of human rights in Mindanao.

“The Merardo Arce Command-New People's Army has granted a conditional amnesty to retired Master Sergeant Jose Manero and ordered his immediate release from custodial detention by the 1st Pulang Bagani Company-NPA.”

”This grant of conditional amnesty is based on his admission of guilt and issuance of a public apology for the crimes and serious violations of human rights he committed against the people and the revolutionary movement,” Rigoberto Sanchez, a rebel spokesman, said on Sunday.

He said the NPA has set three conditions for Manero’s amnesty and these were:

1. That heretofore, he would not undertake any act that would harm the people, cause damage to their lives and livelihood and violate basic human rights, especially to workers and peasants. 2. That he would no longer engaged in armed and other hostile actions against the NPA and the revolutionary movement, whether individually or jointly with the AFP, PNP, Intelligence and paramilitary units of the GRP. 3. That he would be truthful to his admission of guilt and issuance of public apology hereinafter.

But Sanchez warned that if Manero breaks any of the condition, the NPA would again put the former soldier on its own wanted list and punish him under the revolutionary legal system and judicial processes of the so-called People's Democratic Government.

Manero is the brother of Norberto Manero Jr., a former government militia leader, who was convicted of murdering Italian missionary Tulio Favali – a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions - in Mindanao’s North Cotabato province in April 1985.

Manero, who had accused the priest of being a communist supporter, was eventually released from prison last year. (Mindanao Examiner)

Prestigious Ateneo Awards Conferred To PIME, Nagdilaab Foundation And Naga City Mayor

A Catholic organization, a Philippine foundation and a Filipino city mayor are conferred the prestigious Ateneo awards in Zamboanga City in Mindanao. The Pontificio Instituto Missioni Estere is accorded the Archbishop Luis Del Rosario SJ DD Award. Italian missionary Fr. Julio Mariani represented the PIME. The Nagdilaab Foundation in Basilan province, represented by Jessica Flores, is also conferred the Ateneo Peace Award and so is Mayor Jesse Robredo, of Naga City in Camarines Sur, who received the Mayor Cesar Climaco Award. Fr. Antonio Moreno and Rev. Romulo Valles lead the awarding ceremony in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 24, 2008) – A Catholic organization, a Philippine foundation and a Filipino city mayor had been conferred the prestigious Ateneo awards in Zamboanga City in Mindanao.

The Pontificio Instituto Misioni Estere (PIME) was accorded the Archbishop Luis Del Rosario SJ DD Award. Italian missionary Fr. Julio Mariani represented the PIME.

Ateneo awarded PIME in recognition of its 40 years of committed service to the people in Mindanao through inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and pastoral ministry among others.

PIME has missionaries across Mindanao, mostly in far-flung areas, helping the poor.

The Nagdilaab Foundation in Basilan province was also conferred the Ateneo Peace Award and so was Mayor Jesse Robredo, of Naga City in Camarines Sur, who received the Mayor Cesar Climaco Award.

The Nagdilaab Foundation, represented by Jessica Flores, was awarded because of its dedicated leadership and unwavering involvement in the “Pantabangan Basulta,” a consortium of ten non-government organizations that engage and support local leader and multisectoral constituents in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi to develop sustainable interventions to promote peace and development in partnership with communities and stake-holders.

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University also recognized Robredo’s outstanding and exemplary achievements in public service. It said Robredo demonstrated peerless brand of leadership, good local governance, and transparency and for giving credence that effective city management is compatible with yielding power to the people.

Fr. Antonio Moreno, president of Ateneo, and Rev. Romulo Valles, the Archbishop of Zamboanga, led the awarding ceremony at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University on Wednesday. (Mindanao Examiner)

Mindanao Youth To Hold Regional Peace Summit

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (CBCP / August 15, 2008) ─ A regional peace summit in Zamboanga City will allow the youth to listen to each other, in a spirit of dialogue, as they describe their thoughts on Dreaming a New Community through the Culture of Dialogue as Path to Peace.

Selected participants from the previous symposia on dialogue and peace held separately in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga City will participate in this upcoming 1st Regional Peace Summit.

In the earlier symposia, youth participants shared their thoughts on the theme “The Voice of the Youth for Dialogue and Peace: An Urgent Concern of the Times.”

The upcoming summit, organized by Silsilah Dialogue Movement will be held at the Oasis Dialogue Center in Pitogo, Sinunuc, Zamboanga City on August 22-24.

Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME, founder of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement said the summit comes at a judicious moment “when our community is challenged by decisions made and being made by our leaders.”

He said it is a challenge for everyone to “respond in a way that reflects our commitment to peace,” and that “it would be judicious for our government leaders to listen to what the youth have to say.”

The movement has always considered the youth as special collaborators in its pursuit of peace. It aims in imbuing the youth with ideals and values of dialogue which will mold them to become people of dialogue.

D’Ambra said the movement has a special program for the youth with activities designed to help them acquire an orientation to a life-in-dialogue.

“Among these activities have been training of madaris/gurus who teach values formation to the youth. There have been youth camps that provide Muslim and Christian youth, as well as youth from different religious traditions, to come together and forge bonds of friendship. Youth with talents for news writing have been trained to hone these skills so that they might use the press to promote the ideals of dialogue, peace and harmony which are at the core of Silsilah’s vision and mission,” said D’Ambra.

Silsilah Dialogue Movement promotes a spirituality that is open to dialogue to all faiths, based on trust and respect for other cultures. (Pinky Barrientos, FSP)

Former Italian Hostage Moves To Manila Parish

Manila, Philippines - An Italian priest who was held hostage last year for 40 days by Islamic militants in the southern Philippines has been assigned to a parish in the Philippine capital, Manila, the Catholic news agency, Adnkronos International said.

Father Giancarlo Bossi is expected to lead the Mary Queen of the Apostles parish in Paranaque City, an outlying suburb of Manila, it said, quoting reports from the Episcopal Conference of the Philippines.

Bossi was kidnapped at gunpoint by Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic militant group linked to al-Qaeda, on his way to mass in Zamboanga City on the southern island of Mindanao on June 10 last year.

He was released by his captors on a month later and was sent back to Italy. On 25 March he returned to Mindanao.

In a statement on the website of the Episcopal Conference, the parish priest of the Manila church, Father Baumbusch Steven, said that Bossi would arrive from Zamboanga City in two weeks and remain in the Philippines for a year.

It is not clear if Bossi will return to Mindanao after this period at the Manila parish.

Bossi has been based in the Philippines since 1980, apart from a three-year stint in Italy between 1996 and 1999.

When he was kidnapped last June, he was the third Italian priest to be abducted in the Philippines since 1998.

The two others were Luciano Benedetti, released after two months in 1998, and Giuseppe Pierantoni, who managed to escape from his kidnappers after six months in 2001.

Former Kidnapped Victim, Italian Priest Bossi Returns To Southern RP To Continue Mission

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 23, 2008) – An Italian missioner kidnapped and freed by Muslim gunmen last year in the southern Philippines is returning to his parish on a remote village in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Father Giancarlo Bossi, of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, is expected to arrive in Manila this week from Italy. “I feel good and I am happy to go back to my mission,” Bossi told the Catholic media AsiaNews in Rome.

Bossi was kidnapped June 10 last year in the town of Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay province and freed more than a month later after private negotiators allegedly paid a still undetermined amount of ransom.

The clergy returned to Italy on August 10 shortly after his release from captivity and met with the Pope at the Youth Agora in Loreto town.

In Manila, Bossi will meet with fellow priests before flying to Zamboanga. The clergy had long wanted to return to Payao town to continue his missionary works.

“I want to go back as soon as possible to my parish in Payao, to my children.

The poor need people who can give them unlimited and unconditional love, and in Payao people are poor,” he said. “Whilst I was physically a prisoner, too many people are imprisoned by poverty. And their captivity can last a lifetime.”

Bossi is well respected and loved by both Muslim and Christian villagers in Payao where a road was named after the missioner. The clergy is widely known to help the poor and had taken care many children in the town.

“In Italy, I saw children look at food and say that’s yucky. In the Philippines I see kids of the same age rummage through garbage and thank God when they found something. There is something really wrong in this. We must go back to values that afford life more humane conditions,” he said.

It will be the second time the priest would return to Payao since his release from 39 days of captivity from suspected renegade members of the rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Bossi returned to the town in July 25 last year in a farewell to hundreds of villagers who gathered to welcome him.

Bossi’s reunion with the locals was emotional. Many were in tears when they saw the priest stepped out of his vehicle. He was frail, but smiled and waved to the crowds that surrounded his convoy.

They embraced Bossi and led him to his parish where more people were gathered and clapped their hands when they saw the 57-year old priest. It was the first time the priest returned to Payao town since he was freed by kidnappers July 19, 2007.

Philippine authorities said Bossi was kidnapped while celebrating mass in the village of Bulawan by brothers Akiddin and Wanning Abdusallam. Government officials said there was no ransom paid for Bossi’s freedom, but the kidnappers had demanded P50 million for his safe release.

Army Maj. Gen. Nehemias Pajarito, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, said they will have to talk to Bossi when he returns to Payao to convince him to return to defer his missionary works.

“I will suggest to Father Bossi to defer his plan or missionary works until we are sure that he will be safe in Payao when he returns. The kidnappers are still at large, although police filed criminal charges against them, and we are concerned about his safety,” Pajarito told the regional Mindanao Examiner newspaper on Wednesday.

Bossi has previously told the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines that he had forgiven his captors and does not harbor ill will for them. “In spite of everything they are still my brothers,” he said.

“At night I pray for them. And if they kidnap me again, I would still pray for them, as there’s no bitterness in my heart whatsoever,” Bossi said. “When we pray the ‘Lord’s Prayer,’ we are all his sons and we are all brothers and sisters.”

“Being a parish priest is comparable with a head of a family who ought to be with his children,” he said.Bossi was the third Italian priest kidnapped in southern Philippines the past 9 years.

Rogue MILF rebels kidnapped Fr Luciano Benedetti, 62, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998 and held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels and members of the bandit group called Pentagon Gang also snatched Fr Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 51-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Leader Meets With Freed Italian Catholic Clergy

In this photo released by the Philippine National Police, shown is kidnapped Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi, left, in Lanao del Norte province on his way to Zamboanga City shortly after his release in the volatile southern region Friday July 20, 2007. Bossi, who was held hostage for over a month in the southern Philippines, said he lost 15 pounds (6.8 kilos) on a meager diet during his ordeal but was not threatened by his Muslim rebel captors. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/PNP Recom 9 HO)

Freed Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi is escorted by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno during a news conference Friday July 20, 2007 at a police base in southern Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 20 Jul) – Philippine leader Gloria met Friday with freed Italian Catholic clergy after he was flown to Manila from the volatile region of Mindanao.

Arroyo spoke with Fr Giancarlo Bossi in a private room in Malacanang Palace. After the closed door meeting, Bossi said the President had congratulated him on his courage during his lengthy ordeal.

“We rejoice over the safe release of Father Bossi. We thank our soldiers, police and concerned civilians who valiantly worked for his freedom. Father Bossi is now in good hands. We pray that he could soon gather his strength and recover from his ordeal,” Arroyo said in a statement.

Bossi, kidnapped June 10 in the town of Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay province, was released by rogue Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels late Thursday and fetched by senior police officials in Karomatan town in Lanao del Norte province.

The 57-year old clergy from Milan said Arroyo explained that people had been working hard to secure his release. “She told me that many people had been working hard for my freedom,” Bossi said, adding, he was also told that 14 marine soldiers had been killed while they were searching for him on Basilan island last week.

Bossi had cried every time reporters asked him about his feeling on the death of the marine soldiers, ten of them beheaded.

Regional police chief Jaime Caringal brought the priest to Zamboanga City after they fetched him in Lanao del Norte. “He was released after negotiations,” he told reporters in Zamboanga City.

Bossi was barefoot and dirty when he arrived at a tightly guarded police camp.

The priest was frail and looked haggard. Police escorts said Bossi took a bread while in the car on their way to Zamboanga City and was hungry. In Zamboanga City, he was ate a bowl of noodles.

Bossi was later examined by a doctor and then phoned his family in Italy to say that had been freed. He said he was fed with salt and rice and sometimes with dried fish during his 39 days in captivity.

He said passed the time by praying and thinking about his parish and family and friends. Bossi said he was not hurt by his captors. “I never had the sensation that they wanted to kill me, nor did I ever receive a death threat or violence of any kind,” he said.

”Only the food wasn't great: rice, salt and dried fish. As a result I lost some weight. But I also stopped smoking; I haven't touched a cigarette since June 27.”

Bossi, from the Papal Institute for Foreign Missions, said he wanted to return to his parish in Payao town in Zamboanga Sibugay to be reunited with the locals, instead of going home to Milan.

“I want to go back to Payao and help the people there,” he said. “I have already talked to my family. I told them I would not go back to Italy. I want to stay here for a while.”

Philippine Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, who fetched Bossi in Zamboanga City, said no ransom was paid in exchange for the safe release of the priest. “There was absolutely no ransom paid for his release,” Puno said.

He said a former town mayor of Basilan, Hajarun Jamiri, helped in the negotiations that led to Bossi’s release.

Bossi said the kidnappers demanded P50 million for his release.

Pope Benedict XVI received the news of Bossi's release with great joy, said Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi.

Last week, the Pope said that he was praying daily for Bossi, and Italy sent a a special envoy Margherita Boniver to Zamboanga City to try to work for his release.

On Tuesday, the Papal Institute for Foreign Missions said it had established contacts and negotiating with Bossi’s kidnappers.

“We are waiting for positive developments,” a PIME missionary in Zamboanga City and himself former kidnap victim Fr Luciano Benedetti said. “These days we have felt the sympathy of so many people and this bodes well that it might be persuasive and lead to Father Bossi’s release.”

Bossi was the third Italian priest kidnapped since 1998 in southern Philippines.

Rogue MILF rebels kidnapped Benedetti, 52, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998 and held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

Benedetti now has been following developments in the Bossi kidnapping case closely from the start, from the regional house of PIME in Zamboanga City.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels and members of the bandit group called Pentagon Gang also snatched Father Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 44-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers. (With reports from Merlyn Manos and Juan Magtanggol)

RP Military Yields Voice Clip Of Kidnapped Italian Clergy

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 17 Jul) – The Philippine military has sent a compact disc containing the recorded voice of kidnapped Italian Catholic missionary to the Papal Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) in Zamboanga City.

The PIME said the voice could belong to the 57-year old priest Giancarlo Bossi, who was kidnapped June 10 after celebrating mass in the coastal town of Payao outside Zamboanga City, said fellow Italian priest Luciano Benedetti.

Benedetti told the Union of Catholic Asian News that he listened to the recording and it sounded like Bossi’s voice. He said military officials refrained from saying how they got a copy of the 20-second voice clip.

He did not give details about the content of the compact disc, except that the voice was recorded on July 2. “PIME priests do not give much credit to this voice recording and would prefer to receive photos of Father Bossi as proof of life,” he said.

Benedetti said Italian missioners would like to hear more reports on progress of military search operations for Bossi.

He said the military has become silent about the search after 14 marines were killed by Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels on July 10 in Basilan province. The soldiers, ten of them beheaded, were attacked while searching for Bossi in Al-Barka town where MILF rebels were said to be holding the priest. (Mindanao Examiner)

Negotiations Begin For Release Of Kidnapped Italian Priest In Southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / 17 Jul) – The Papal Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) said it has established contacts with the kidnappers holding an Italian Catholic priest hostage in the southern Philippines.

It said negotiations for the safe release of Father Giancarlo Bossi, from Milan, is going on. The clergy was kidnapped after celebrating mass on June 10 in the coastal town of Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

The Catholic news agency AsiaNews said mediation for Bossi’s release still continues and that contacts are ongoing, but reported that PIME missionaries in the Philippines are cautiously optimistic.

“We are waiting for positive developments,” a PIME missionary in Zamboanga City and former hostage Father Luciano Benedetti told,” said, adding, many people were trying to help to secure the freedom of the 57-year old missioner.

“These days we have felt the sympathy of so many people and this bodes well that it might be persuasive and lead to Father Bossi’s release,” Benedetti said.

Philippine authorities tagged Akiddin Abdusallam, a leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is negotiating peace with the government. Abdusallam was also implicated in many kidnappings-for-ransom in the South.

But the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, said Abdusallam was kicked out long time ago because of his criminal past and has joined the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group.
Bossi is the third Italian priest kidnapped since 1998 in the southern Philippines.

Rogue MILF rebels kidnapped Benedetti, 52, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998 and held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

Benedetti now has been following developments in the Bossi kidnapping case closely from the start, from the regional house of PIME in Zamboanga City.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels and members of the bandit group called Pentagon Gang also snatched Father Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 44-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers.

“The faithful are still calling on the Lord to free him, hoping that his kidnappers and those trying to exploit the event for political and ideological purposes might heed their words,” PIME said.

The MILF which previously offered to help rescue Bossi said the kidnappers were demanding “tens of millions of pesos” in ransom. Other reports said Bossi’s captors have asked one million dollars in exchange for his freedom.

The military said Bossi is believed to be in Basilan island, where 14 soldiers searching for the priest were attacked and killed by Abu Sayyaf militants and MILF gunmen on July 10. Ten of those of killed were beheaded and mutilated, it said.

The MILF said there were no Abu Sayyaf militants involved in the fighting triggered by the intrusion of soldiers inside a rebel stronghold. (Mindanao Examiner)

MILF, Not Sayyaf Clashed With Troops In Southern Philippines, Rebel Leader Says

BASILAN ISLAND (Mindanao Examiner / 10 Jul) – Philippine Muslim rebels engaged in peace talks with the government clashed Tuesday with security forces in Basilan island, south of Manila.

Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF chief peace negotiator, said marine soldiers encroached inside their stronghold on a remote town and attacked rebel forces, sparking daylong clashes that left as many as 20 government troops dead.

Four MILF fighters were also killed and four more wounded, he said.

The Philippine Marines said only 3 soldiers were killed and 13 others injured in the fighting.
Marine Colonel Ramiro Alivio, the island’s military chief, also denied that 20 soldiers were killed. “It was not true,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Alivio earlier said that troops, searching for the kidnapped Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi, clashed with members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group aided by MILF rebels in the hinterland village of Ginanta in Al-Barka town.

He said the soldiers were checking reports that the clergy, kidnapped on June 10 in Zamboanga Sibugay province, was sighted in the town. The report turned out to be false.

“Troops were verifying reports that Father Bossi was spotted in the area, but it turned out negative. Our forces were returning to base when they came under fire and fighting broke out,” Alivio said, adding, troops fought about 500 gunmen.

Iqbal said the fighting was between the MILF and government troops.

He said rebel forces destroyed two M35 military trucks and captured another during the fighting. He said MILF fighters have also recovered five M60 machine guns, one sub-machine gun, five M-203 automatic rifles, two M-14 rifles with sniper scopes, one night vision goggle and two radio transceivers.

Acting Filipino Defense chief Norberto Gonzales has told Margherita Boniver, special envoy of the Italian government, that the 57-year old priest from Milan is being held by Abu Sayyaf militants.

But Boniver, who visited the Philippines, last week doubted the report and so was the Rome-based Pontificio Instituto Missioni Estere to which Bossi belongs. “There are other theories about the kidnappers, for example, the head of the army mentioned former members of the Islamic Liberation Front,” Boniver said.

Philippine military and police authorities in Zamboanga Sibugay have tagged Akiddin Abdusallam, a rogue MILF leader as mastermind in the kidnapping. The MILF said Abdusallam has been kicked out of the MILF long time ago because of his criminal past and has joined the Abu Sayyaf group.

The MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate homeland, has denied involvement in the kidnapping, but a rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu said Bossi’s captors were demanding “tens of millions of pesos” in ransom.

Last week, three undated photographs of Bossi in captivity were sent through cell phone to his friend Spanish priest Angel Calvo in Zamboanga City.

The military said a former Basilan town mayor was the source of the photos. It was unclear how the former official was able to get the photos.

Philippine authorities were investigating the authenticity of the photos, all showing Bossi sitting on a boulder surrounded by young trees. One photograph showed Bossi holding a transistor radio.

PIME said it has no contact with the kidnappers. Bossi is the third Italian priest kidnapped in the past year in the southern Philippines.

Rogue MILF rebels kidnapped Father Luciano Benedetti, 52, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998 and held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels and members of the bandit group called Pentagon Gang also snatched Father Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 44-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers.

Benedetti now has been following developments in the Bossi kidnapping case closely from the start, from the regional house of PIME in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner)

RP Troops Searching For Kidnapped Italian Missioner Clash With Abu Sayyaf, MILF

BASILAN ISLAND(Mindanao Examiner / 10 Jul) – Philippine troops tracking down a kidnapped Italian Catholic priest clashed Tuesday with hundreds of suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen in the southern island of Basilan, officials said.

One soldier was killed and two more were injured in the fighting that erupted at around 10 a.m. in the town of Al-Barka, said Marine Colonel Ramiro Alivio, the island’s military chief.

He said the soldiers were checking reports that Father Giancarlo Bossi, kidnapped on June 10 in Zamboanga Sibugay province, was sighted in the town. The report turned out to be false.

“Troops were verifying reports that Father Bossi was spotted in the area, but it turned out negative. Our forces were returning to base when they came under fire and fighting broke out,” Alivio told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said as the fighting raged, the number of gunmen was also swelling until it reached 500.
Military intelligence sources in Basilan said as many as 7 militants were killed and wounded in the fighting, but there could be more casualties as battle continued well into the night.

It said MILF forces in Basilan have sided with the Abu Sayyaf group and fought against government troops.

Acting Filipino Defense chief Norberto Gonzales has told Margherita Boniver, special envoy of the Italian government, that the 57-year old priest from Milan is being held by Abu Sayyaf militants.

Boniver, who was in the Philippines last week, expressed caution about Abu Sayyaf.
“There are other theories about the kidnappers, for example, the head of the army mentioned former members of the Islamic Liberation Front,” she said.

Bossi’s group, the Rome-based Pontificio Instituto Missioni Estere, doubted the Abu Sayyaf group tied to al-Qaeda terror network is holding the priest.Philippine military and police officials have tagged Akiddin Abdusallam, a rogue leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as mastermind in the kidnapping.

The MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group has denied involvement in the kidnapping, but said Bossi’s captors were demanding “tens of millions of pesos” in ransom.

Last week, three undated photographs of Bossi in captivity were sent through cell phone to his friend Spanish priest Angel Calvo in Zamboanga City.

Military sources said a former Basilan town mayor was the source of the photos. It was unclear how the former official was able to get the photos.

Philippine authorities were investigating the authenticity of the photos, all showing Bossi sitting on a boulder surrounded by young trees. One photograph showed Bossi holding a transistor radio.

PIME said it has no contact with the kidnappers. Bossi is the third Italian priest kidnapped in the past year in the southern Philippines.

Rogue MILF rebels kidnapped Father Luciano Benedetti, 52, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998 and held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels and members of the bandit group called Pentagon Gang also snatched Father Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 44-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers.

Benedetti now has been following developments in the Bossi kidnapping case closely from the start, from the regional house of PIME in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner)

Doubts Cast On Philippine Reports About Bossi Kidnapping

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 09 Jul) – The Papal Institute for Foreign Missions doubted government reports that the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group is holding its priest Giancarlo Bossi in the southern Philippines.

Bossi was kidnapped June 10 in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay.

Acting Filipino Defense chief Norberto Gonzales has told Margherita Boniver, special envoy of the Italian government, that the 57-year old priest from Milan is being held by Abu Sayyaf militants.

Philippine military and police officials have tagged Akiddin Abdusallam, a rogue leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as mastermind in the kidnapping.

The MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group has denied involvement in the kidnapping, but said Bossi’s captors were demanding “tens of millions of pesos” in ransom.

“The theory that Abu Sayyaf [“sword bearers” in the local language, referring to a radical group inspired by Al-Qaeda based in the southern Philippines] is behind the abduction of Fr Giancarlo Bossi does not hold water.”

“Rather, from what we know, he is being held hostage by a gang of criminals,” Fr Luciano Benedetti was quoted by PIME’s AsiaNews as saying.

Benedetti has been following developments in the kidnapping case closely from the start from the regional house of PIME in Zamboanga.

Boniver, who was in the Philippines last week, also expressed caution about Abu Sayyaf. “There are other theories about the kidnappers, for example, the head of the army mentioned former members of the Islamic Liberation Front,” she told AsiaNews.

In fact, the kidnapping of the missionary of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (PIME) has taken place at a politically sensitive time for Manila.

Experts on the Philippines have told AsiaNews that “bringing in the Islamic extremists of Abu Sayyaf could mean many things, and it is not a foregone conclusion that they have anything to do with the kidnapping of the Italian priest”.

“In the first place, the entry into force of a new anti-terrorism law is anxiously awaited in the country. It is scheduled for 15 July and will give the army practically unlimited powers.

Indicating Islamic extremists as the instigators of the kidnapping will pave the way for the government to order a military blitz that would very dangerous for the safety of the hostage’s life.”

“What’s more, if the government theory is credited, it would be fair to expect more participation in the searches by the United States, which in the meantime could guarantee substantial funding which Manila needs,” it said in a report published Monday.

The AsiaNews reported: “There are gaping inconsistencies in the entire affair: if no one has yet made real contact with the kidnappers, then there is no basis to establish their identity. It should be considered that, as in all cases of abduction which take place in the Philippines, there have been many requests for money in exchange for information, a practice that Abu Sayyaf does not allow when it is really at work, because it would not want to diminish its action.”

And finally, “the area of Payao, where Fr Bossi was kidnapped, is not a zone of action of the Islamic radicals. If one speaks about former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, this must mean common bandits in search of money, and not still more determined extremists,” it said.

Benedetti was kidnapped in 1998 by rogue MILF rebels in Zamboanga del Norte province and freed ten weeks later after government negotiators paid huge ransom to his captors. (AsiaNews)

Philippine Authorities Fail To Locate Kidnapped Italian Priest

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Ex-Basilan Mayor Is Source Of Bossi Photos

BASILAN ISLAND (Mindanao Examiner / 08 Jul) – A former town mayor in the southern Philippine island of Basilan was said to be the source of three photographs of a kidnapped Italian Catholic priest that surfaced this week.

Philippine military and police said rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front headed by Akiddin Abdusallam are believed holding the 57-year old priest Giancarlo Bossi, who was kidnapped June 10 in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Military sources said the former town mayor was the source of the photos, which were sent through cell phone to Spanish priest Angel Calvo, Bossi’s friend, in Zamboanga City.

It was unknown how the former mayor was able to get the photos.

Philippine authorities were investigating the authenticity of the photos, all showing Bossi sitting on a boulder surrounded by young trees. One photograph showed Bossi holding a transistor radio.

It was unknown when the photos were taken, but his group, the Rome-based Pontificio Instituto Missioni Estere (PIME) confirmed the photos.

"There are now pictures of the captivity of Father Giancarlo Bossi," said a PIME blog dedicated to Bossi.

"Taken in an undisclosed place where there are trees of a young forest. He is wearing the same clothes he wore on the day of his kidnapping. The cinelas (slippers) are red and new."

"There is (a pair of) rubber shoes too left on the ground. Containers of water suggest that they are hiking up in some higher places, may be mountains, where the air is much thin and cooler.

Other things are inside these pictures, but we do not care! We will never put them in this Blog. They make us sad. We like other pictures; those of the day of his liberation!" it said.

PIME said it has no contact with the kidnappers.

The MILF, which is monitoring the situation, said Bossi’s captors were demanding “tens of millions” of pesos in ransom.

Bossi is the third Italian priest kidnapped in the past year in the southern Philippines.

Rogue MILF rebels kidnapped Father Luciano Benedetti, 52, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998 and held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels and members of the bandit group called Pentagon Gang also snatched Father Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 44-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers. (Mindanao Examiner)

RP Authorities Verify New Photos Of Kidnapped Italian Priest

One of three photos released by MISNA international missionary news agency Friday July 6, 2007 with a statement claiming the photos are 'proof that Father Giancarlo Bossi is alive.' Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi, was seized by gunmen in the volatile Zamboanga Sibugay province in the southern Philippines on June 10. The Italian government sent an envoy this week for talks with Philippine authorities, on efforts to secure Bossi's freedom. The Italian Foreign Ministry Friday was analyzing the photos for authenticity. (AP Photo/MISNA, HO).

Editorial cartoon from PIME blog.

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 07 Jul) – Philippine authorities are verifying photographs of a kidnapped Italian Catholic priest as security forces continue searching for the Milan-born hostage in the jungles of Mindanao.

The 57-year old missionary Giancarlo Bossi was kidnapped June 10 by rogue members of the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, headed by Akiddin Abdusallam in the coastal town of Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

The photos were sent through cell phone on Thursday to a Spanish priest, Angel Calvo, Bossi’s best friend in Zamboanga City. “I saw one photograph and we are trying to authenticate this,” Army Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, told the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.

Bossi’s congregation, the Pontificio Instituto Missioni Estere (PIME), also has copies of the photographs. “There are now pictures of the captivity of Father Giancarlo Bossi,” it said on a statement posted on a blog dedicated to Bossi.

“Taken in an undisclosed place where there are trees of a young forest. He is wearing the same clothes he wore on the day of his kidnapping. The cinelas (slippers) are red and new.”

“There is rubber shoes too left on the ground. Containers of water suggest that they are hiking up in some higher places, may be mountains, where the air is much thin and cooler. Other things are inside these pictures, but we do not care! We will never put them in this Blog. They make us sad. We like other pictures; those of the day of his liberation!” it said.

Italian lawmaker Margherita Boniver arrived in a private jet in Zamboanga City late Friday to work with local authorities for the safe release of Bossi.

The lawmaker, accompanied by Italian Ambassador to Manila, Rubens Fedele, met with top security officials, but details of the conference were not made public.

Boniver said she met with President Gloria Arroyo in Manila and senior military officials and assured her that the search for Bossi is going on. “I am really thankful to President Arroyo for all the efforts,” she said on Friday.

The PIME said the kidnapping of Bossi has brought fears to many people. Bossi is the third Italian missionary kidnapped in southern Philippines the past decade.

“The mentality to abduct people has taken home in different places in our country. Somehow we feel that kidnappers are all over us, near our homes, families and children. A sort of evil that threatens all of us.”

“On the other hand this threat calls us to strengthen our courage, the courage to overcome the fear in our souls. It is funny to hear how foreign people see us: as a country gripped by Islamic rebellion, kidnappings and killing media people: for money and revenge. We have to overcome this image of the Philippines. We should demonstrate that violence has no place in our culture,” it said.

PIME did not say whether the kidnappers have demanded any ransom for Bossi’s release.
But the MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, previously, said the kidnappers were demanding “tens of millions” of pesos in exchange for Bossi’s safe release.

Kidnappings-for-ransom has become a lucrative business for rebels and criminal syndicates in Mindanao, where many areas are underdeveloped and job opportunities are scarce. Sometimes gangs kidnapped civilians and hand them over to rebels in exchange for a cut in the ransom. Poverty has been blamed for many kidnappings in the South.

Rogue MILF rebels kidnapped Father Luciano Benedetti, 52, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998 and held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels and members of the bandit group called Pentagon Gang also snatched Father Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 44-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers. (Mindanao Examiner)

Italian Lawmaker Arrives In Southern RP To Work For Release Of Kidnapped Priest

Italian lawmaker Margherita Boniver, accompanied by Italian Ambassador to Manila, Rubens Fedele, arrives in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga Friday July 06, 2007. Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat and Rep. Maria Isabelle Climaco met Bonevir who is in the Philippines to work with Filipino authorities for the safe release of a kidnapped Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi. Muslim rebels seized the 57-year old missioner from Milan last month in Zamboanga Sibugay province. Bossi is a priest from the Rome-based Papal Institute for Foreign Missions. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)



ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 06 Jul) – Italian lawmaker Margherita Boniver arrived in the southern Philippines late Friday to work with local authorities for the safe release of a kidnapped Italian Catholic priest.

The lawmaker, accompanied by Italian Ambassador to Manila, Rubens Fedele, arrived in a private jet. They were met by Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat and Rep. Maria Isabelle Climaco.

She briefly spoke to reporters and later met with top security officials. She will fly to Zamboanga Sibugay province on Saturday to meet with senior military and police officials to discuss the progress of search for Fr Giancarlo Bossi, of the Rome-based Papal Institute for Foreign Missions.

Boniver said she met with President Gloria Arroyo in Manila and senior military officials and assured her that the search for Bossi is going on. “I am really thankful to President Arroyo for all the efforts,” she said.

Bossi was kidnapped June 10 by rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) headed by Akiddin Abdusallam after saying mass on the coastal village of Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay.

The kidnappers have not contacted the Papal Institute for Foreign Missions, but the MILF claimed the gang has been demanding “tens of millions” of pesos in ransom.

Philippine authorities said it will not pay ransom to the kidnappers. Some 2,000 troops are searching for Bossi in the jungle of Zamboanga Sibugay.

But despite the huge number of soldiers helping in the search, the military said it has no reports about the fate of the priest.

“The search is still going, but we have no reports about the fate of Father Bossi,” Army Maj. Eugene Batara, a regioanal military spokesman, told the regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner. (Mindanao Examiner)

No Traces Of Kidnapped Italian Priest In Southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / 05 Jul) – Philippine troops have failed to locate an Italian Catholic priest, three weeks after rebels kidnapped him from a remote village in Zamboanga Sibugay province, south of Manila.

Father Giancarolo Bossi, of the Papal Institute for Foreign Missions, was kidnapped by rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on June 10 after celebrating mass in the coastal village of Payao. The kidnappers reportedly demanded “tens of millions” of pesos in ransom, according to the MILF.

On Wednesday, Italian lawmaker Margherita Boniver arrived in Manila to work with the Filipino government for the safe release of Bossi, 57.

The Milan-born priest is suffering from hypertension, his congregation said.Security officials have previously said that troops had surrounded the hideout of the kidnappers and that his rescue is imminent, but this proved wrong.

Philippine military chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said assured that security forces were tracking down Bossi.

"I must assure each and everyone that the AFP in the area, together with the PNP [Philippine National Police], are not letting up on the operations," he told reporters in Manila.

Bossi’s congregation said it has not received any proof that the priest is alive.

"All indications would tell us that Father Bossi is alive. Proof of life would be something higher, meaning a picture or a voice tape, but it's more of [an] indication, what we have right now," Esperon said.

More than 2,000 soldiers have joined the search for Bossi. The United States also deployed an EP-3 Orion reconnaissance plane to help the Philippine troops.

Bossi is the third Italian priest kidnapped in Mindanao since 1998. MILF rebels also kidnapped an Italian priest, Luciano Benedetti, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998. Benedetti, 52, was held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels also snatched Father Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 44-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers. (Juley Reyes and Juan Magtanggol)

MILF Pulls Out From Mission To Free Kidnapped Italian Priest In Southern Philippines

MAGUINDANAO (Mindanao Examiner / 03 Jul) – Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels helping in the search for a kidnapped Italian Catholic missionary in the southern Philippines have pulled out from the rescue mission.

The pullout, it said, would allow government forces to operate on its own in an effort to get back Father Giancarlo Bossi, of the Papal Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME). Bossi, 57, was kidnapped June 10 by rogue MILF rebels after celebrating mass in Payao town in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

The MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, said the kidnappers were demanding “tens of millions” of pesos in ransom.

The MILF forged an agreement in 2004 that paved the way for rebel forces to help government hunt down terrorists and criminal elements in areas where it is actively operating.

“It is now the sole responsibility of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to do the job alone,” said Mohammad Nasif, leader of MILF forces, helping in the rescue of Bossi.

The MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, has previously helped in rescuing many Filipino and foreign kidnapped victims in the restive region of Mindanao.

Nasif said rebel forces can rapidly respond should the Philippine military request the MILF to take part again in the rescue mission.

The MILF said it pulled out some 1,000 rebels from the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte where government troops are searching for the priest.

The PIME said it has no information about the fate of Bossi, a native of Milan, and whether he is alive or not.

“This day PIME-Regional House in Zamboanga hasn’t received a single “proof of life” from the abductors of Father Giancarlo Bossi,” it said.

Philippine military chief, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, said the missioner is still alive, but his health could be deteriorating.

Bossi’s family in Italy said the priest is suffering from hypertension and that he needs medication.

“We have indications of life, but we do not want to discuss the details because it could give away the location and by giving away the location it could also give the identities of the people working on it in the end it might jeopardize the safety of Father Bossi,” Esperon said.

Bossi is the third Italian priest kidnapped in Mindanao since 1998. MILF rebels also kidnapped an Italian priest, Luciano Benedetti, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998. Benedetti, 52, was held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels also snatched Father Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 44-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers. His companions claimed he suffered from Stockholm syndrome, a phenomenon in which a hostage begins to identify with and grow sympathetic to his captor. (Mindanao Examiner)

Kidnapped Italian Priest Is Alive In Mindanao

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Kidnappers Of Italian Priest In Southern RP Break Off Talks With Emissaries

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Jul) – Gunmen holding a kidnapped Italian Catholic priest in the southern Philippines have broken off talks with emissaries, making negotiations for the safe release of the hostage now more difficult.

The Milan-born Father Giancarlo Bossi, of the Papal Institute of Foreign Missions, was seized by rogue members of the Philippines’ largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front on June 10 after celebrating mass in the coastal town of Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

The MILF, which is negotiating peace with Manila, denied involvement in the kidnapping and is now helping the Filipino government rescue Bossi. But on Sunday, it said the kidnappers have stopped talking with both government and MILF emissaries for a still unknown reason.

It said Bossi’s rescue is uncertain and the gang holding the 57-year old priest has been elusive.

“The rescue operation for the Italian priest, Giancarlo Bossi, is still uncertain,” the MILF said, adding “Bossi’s kidnappers are highly elusive and stopped to deal with emissaries of both the government and MILF.”

Philippine authorities said Bossi is being held captive by MILF leader Akiddin Abdusallam, tagged as also behind previous kidnappings-for-ransom in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Military officials gave conflicting reports about Bossi’s whereabouts and first said the priest was in Naga town in Zamboanga Sibugay and that troops had surrounded the kidnappers’ hideout.

But days later the military said Bossi is being held in Lanao del Norte province in the Muslim autonomous region. It again said that the priest is still in Zamboanga Sibugay. There were too many security officials making different statement about the progress of Bossi’s kidnapping.

Manila has dispatched three emissaries last week to try getting proofs that Bossi is still alive.

Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesman, has previously said that the kidnappers were demanding “tens of millions of pesos” in ransom. Another senior MILF leader, Mohagher Iqbal, said the kidnappers only demanded P15 million.

Marine Maj. Gen. Mohammad Dolorfino, head of the government’s ad hoc joint action group involved in the peace process with the MILF, disputed Kabalu and Iqbal statements, saying, the kidnappers have not asked any ransom.

Army Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, said they have “good and positive” developments about Bossi, but he would not give details, saying, it could jeopardize the operation to free the missioner.

Kidnappings-for-ransom has become a lucrative business for rebels and criminal syndicates in Mindanao, where many areas are underdeveloped and job opportunities are scarce.

Sometimes criminal gangs kidnapped civilians and hand them over to rebels in exchange for a cut in the ransom. Poverty has been blamed for many kidnappings in the South.

MILF rebels also kidnapped an Italian priest, Luciano Benedetti, in Zamboanga del Norte province in 1998. Benedetti, 52, was held for nearly 10 weeks until he was freed in exchange for a huge government ransom.

In 2001, renegade MILF rebels also snatched Fr Giuseppe Pierantoni as the 44-year-old from Bologna said mass in the parish church of Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

The priest was freed after six months in captivity in exchange for an unspecified ransom, but he claimed to have escaped from his kidnappers. His companions claimed he suffered from Stockholm syndrome, a phenomenon in which a hostage begins to identify with and grow sympathetic to his or her captor. (Mindanao Examiner)

RP Military Holds Info On Kidnapped Italian Priest

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