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)
Showing posts with label Italian Missionary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italian Missionary. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Monday, July 09, 2007
Philippine Authorities Fail To Locate Kidnapped Italian Priest
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Sunday, July 08, 2007
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)
Friday, July 06, 2007
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)
Thursday, July 05, 2007
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)
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)
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
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)
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)
Monday, July 02, 2007
Kidnapped Italian Priest Is Alive In Mindanao
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Wednesday, June 27, 2007
No Clues Yet On Kidnapped Italian Catholic Priest In Southern Philippines
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Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Manila Sends 3 Emmisaries To Find Bossi Kidnappers
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / 26 Jun) – The Philippine military on Tuesday said three government emissaries were sent to negotiate with gunmen holding an Italian missionary Giancarlo Bossi in the troubled southern region of Mindanao.
Marine Major General Ben Dolorfino, chairman of the government’s ad hoc joint action group, said the government wants a proof of life before it could start negotiating with the kidnappers. "They were sent to there to produce proof of life," he said.
Bossi was kidnapped on June 10 after celebrating mass in the village of Bulawan in Payao town in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
Police tagged rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) headed by Akiddin Abdusallam as behind the kidnapping of the 57-year old priest from Milan.
The MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, is also helping authorities track down the kidnappers. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the gunmen allegedly demanded “tens of millions of pesos” in exchange for Bossi’s freedom. (With a report from Juley Reyes)
Marine Major General Ben Dolorfino, chairman of the government’s ad hoc joint action group, said the government wants a proof of life before it could start negotiating with the kidnappers. "They were sent to there to produce proof of life," he said.
Bossi was kidnapped on June 10 after celebrating mass in the village of Bulawan in Payao town in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
Police tagged rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) headed by Akiddin Abdusallam as behind the kidnapping of the 57-year old priest from Milan.
The MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, is also helping authorities track down the kidnappers. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the gunmen allegedly demanded “tens of millions of pesos” in exchange for Bossi’s freedom. (With a report from Juley Reyes)
Monday, June 25, 2007
Boat Used In Transporting Kidnapped Italian Missioner Recovered In Lanao del Norte
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Sunday, June 24, 2007
Seach For Kidnapped Italian Prelate Continues In Philippines
Western Mindanao military Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo appeals to citizens for any information about an Italian missioner Giancarlo Bossi, who is being held by rebels in Zamboanga Sibugay province. The kidnappers are demanding one million dollars for the prelate's freedom. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 24 Jun) – Philippine troops on Sunday continued searching for an Italian Catholic priest, two weeks after rebels seized him in the southern region of Mindanao.
Rogue Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels kidnapped Fr Giancarlo Bossi, of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (PIME), on June 10 after celebrating mass in the coastal village of Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
The MILF is also helping in the search for Bossi who was reported to have been brought to Lanao del Norte province in the Muslim autonomous region, some 300 km east of Zamboanga.
But Army Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, said latest military reports suggest that the 57-year old missioner from Milan could still be in the jungle of Zamboanga Sibugay.
“We believed the kidnapped priest, Father Bossi, is still in Zamboanga area,” Cedo told the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.
Cedo said the safe release of Bossi is more important and he appealed to citizens to help in the government search by providing authorities information about the priest and the kidnappers.
“The rescue and recovery of Reverend Giancarlo Bossi has been the priority of the Western Mindanao Command ever since the kidnapping,” Cedo said. “I appeal to those who have any information to help us in locating Father Bossi.”
Marine Maj. Gen. Mohammad Dolorfino, head of the government’s ad hoc joint action group, said they continue to receive information from civilians about Bossi and all these are being validated.
“There are reports that they are there (in Zamboanga Sibugay) ever since and this is being checked. There is information coming in. The reports are coming from civilian informants,” he said in a separate interview.
PIME put up an Internet diary dedicated to Bossi and there a photo believed that of the prelate in the middle of a marshland is shown and an M16 automatic rifle is visible on the foreground.
The photo raised suspicions that there is a secret negotiation going on for the safe release of Bossi, who is being held by Akiddin Abdusallam. (Juley Reyes, Joseph Danda and Juan Magtanggol)
Fr Bossi, Wala Pa Rin Balita!
Ang larawan ito ay mula sa blog site ng Pontifical Institute of Foreign Mission sa Pilipinas at sa orihinal na litrato ay nakasaad ang panagalan: Father Giancarlo Bossi. Ito kaya ay si Fr Bossi? Nakalubog pa sa putikan ang kanyang mga paa at isang M16 ang nakatutok sa kaawa-awang lalaking ito na mukhang dayuhan dahil sa maputi at mabalahibong mga binti. Hindi nagsabi ang PIME kung ang litrato ay ipinadala ng mga kidnappers bilang pruweba na buhay pa ang Italyanong pari. (Mindanao Examiner)ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY (Mindanao Examiner / 24 Jun) – Wala pa rin balita ang mga awtoridad sa kinaroroonan ng Italian priest na si Giancarlo Bossi – dalawang linggo matapos itong dukutin ng mga rebeldeng Muslim sa lalawigan ng Zamboanga Sibugay.
Maging ang Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (PIME) na kinabibilangan ni Bossi ay abala sa paghahanap sa pari na umano’y nasa grupo ni Akiddin Abdusallla, isang rogue commander ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Itinanggi ng MILF na may kinalaman ito pagdukot kay Bossi at nasa Abu Sayyaf na umano si Abdusallam. Ngunit tumutulong umano ang MILF na mabawi si Bossi.
Ngunit posibleng may sikretong negosasyon ang PIME o kaya ang Italian Embassy sa mga kidnappers at gamit ang MILF upang mapalaya si Bossi.
Ito ay dahil inilagay ng PIME sa isang blog ang litrato ng mga mabalahibong binti ng isang Caucasian na lalaki na nakalubog ang mga paa sa putikan sa gitna ng mangrove marshland at doon nakalagay ito: Father Giancarlo Bossi. Isang M16 automatic rifle rin ang nakatutok sa lalaki.
Hindi ipinakita sa larawan ang mga mukha ng naroon sa hindi malamang dahil.
Naunang sinabi ng Italian Embassy na handa itong makipag-negosasyon sa mga kidnappers na umano’y humiling ng isang milyong dolyar kapalit ni Bossi.
Karamihan sa mga dinukot na dayuhan sa Mindanao ay napapalaya lamang kapalit ang ransom. Bukod kay Bossi ay dinukot na rin noon sina Italian priests Luciano Benedette at Giuseppe Pierantoni na parehong napalaya matapos na iuamno’y magbayad ng malaking ransom ang pamahalaan ng Pilipinas at kanilang embahada.(Mindanao Examiner)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Rebels Demand $1-M Ransom For Kidnapped PIME Priest In Southern Philippines
PAGADIAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 19 Jun) – Philippine rebels have demanded one million dollars from the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (PIME) in exchange for the safe release of one of its kidnapped Italian missioner in Mindanao.
The rebels, headed by Akiddin Abdusallam, a rogue leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is holding Fr Giancarlo Bossi, who was kidnapped June 10 after celebrating mass in the coastal town of Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay province, local authorities said.
Rebel sources here said the kidnappers demanded the ransom from PIME, which has offices in Zamboanga City and Manila.
PIME superior Rev. Gianni Sandalo said his group will not pay ransom.
MILF senior rebel leader Mohagher Iqbal said Abdusallam is a not a member of his group, but Abu Sayyaf, blamed by Manila for the terrorism and kidnappings for ransom in the troubled region.
Iqbal also heads the MILF group which is currently negotiating peace with Philippine government.
The MILF previously said the kidnappers were demanding “tens of millions of pesos in ransom.”
Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Sison, local army commander, said troops have put up more roadblocks in Zamboanga Sibugay as part of a government rescue operation to free the 57-year old Bossi, from Milan.
But a rebel spokesman, Eid Kabalu, said Bossi has been taken by his captors in Lanao del Norte province where MILF forces are pursuing the kidnappers. “We have forces also in the area and we are trying to get back the priest without ransom,” he said in a separate interview.
Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon said troops have located the hideout of the kidnappers and that Bossi may soon be freed.
The MILF is helping in the government rescue operation, but Kabalu said the presence of army soldiers in the area where Bossi is being held could jeopardize the effort for the release of the foreigner.
“We don’t want a scenario that there will be accidental clashes between MILF fighters involved in the rescue mission and government troops pursuing the kidnappers. That will jeopardize our mission to rescue the priest,” he said.
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 the rebel group is actively operating.
But the accord ends on Thursday unless both sides agree to renew the interim pact and if not, the MILF may not be able to continue helping authorities rescue the missioner.
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.
Major General Mohammad Dolorfino, leader of the government ad hoc joint action group, said the safety of the hostage is the primary concern of the military and that there is an ongoing negotiation to secure Bossi’s freedom without paying ransom.
"Our primary consideration is Bossi's safety. We will exert all peaceful means to resolve the matter,” he said without elaborating. (Becky de Asis, Juley Reyes, Juan Magtanggol and Joseph Danda)
The rebels, headed by Akiddin Abdusallam, a rogue leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is holding Fr Giancarlo Bossi, who was kidnapped June 10 after celebrating mass in the coastal town of Payao in Zamboanga Sibugay province, local authorities said.
Rebel sources here said the kidnappers demanded the ransom from PIME, which has offices in Zamboanga City and Manila.
PIME superior Rev. Gianni Sandalo said his group will not pay ransom.
MILF senior rebel leader Mohagher Iqbal said Abdusallam is a not a member of his group, but Abu Sayyaf, blamed by Manila for the terrorism and kidnappings for ransom in the troubled region.
Iqbal also heads the MILF group which is currently negotiating peace with Philippine government.
The MILF previously said the kidnappers were demanding “tens of millions of pesos in ransom.”
Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Sison, local army commander, said troops have put up more roadblocks in Zamboanga Sibugay as part of a government rescue operation to free the 57-year old Bossi, from Milan.
But a rebel spokesman, Eid Kabalu, said Bossi has been taken by his captors in Lanao del Norte province where MILF forces are pursuing the kidnappers. “We have forces also in the area and we are trying to get back the priest without ransom,” he said in a separate interview.
Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon said troops have located the hideout of the kidnappers and that Bossi may soon be freed.
The MILF is helping in the government rescue operation, but Kabalu said the presence of army soldiers in the area where Bossi is being held could jeopardize the effort for the release of the foreigner.
“We don’t want a scenario that there will be accidental clashes between MILF fighters involved in the rescue mission and government troops pursuing the kidnappers. That will jeopardize our mission to rescue the priest,” he said.
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 the rebel group is actively operating.
But the accord ends on Thursday unless both sides agree to renew the interim pact and if not, the MILF may not be able to continue helping authorities rescue the missioner.
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.
Major General Mohammad Dolorfino, leader of the government ad hoc joint action group, said the safety of the hostage is the primary concern of the military and that there is an ongoing negotiation to secure Bossi’s freedom without paying ransom.
"Our primary consideration is Bossi's safety. We will exert all peaceful means to resolve the matter,” he said without elaborating. (Becky de Asis, Juley Reyes, Juan Magtanggol and Joseph Danda)
Saturday, June 16, 2007
RP Troops Surround Lair Of Italian Priest Kidnappers
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 16 Jun) – Filipino troops have surrounded a mountain area where Muslim rebels are believed holding a kidnapped Italian Catholic priest in the restive region of Zamboanga, officials said.
Rouge members of the Philippines’ largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, kidnapped Fr Giancarlo Bossi, of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (PIME), after celebrating mass June 10 in the village of Bulawan in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Payao town.
The MILF, which is helping Philippine soldiers rescue the missioner, said its fighters destroyed the twin-engine speedboat used by gunmen in spiriting Bossi to a town called Naga, also in Zamboanga.
“Our troops have surrounded the area where the priest is believed being held hostage. We have blockades at sea and on land to prevent the kidnappers from escaping.”
“It is only a matter of time before we can back the Italian priest,” the commander of the Army’s First Infantry Division, Major General Nehemias Pajarito, told the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.
But there were no reports about Bossi’s fate. The MILF is helping Filipino security forces rescue the 57-year old priest.
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 the rebel group is actively operating.
The MILF said it is working closely with the government through the ad-hoc joint action group to track down criminals and terrorists.
A U.S. EP-3 Orion reconnaissance plane is also helping in the search in the mountainous area of Zamboanga Sibugay.
The kidnappers also tried, but failed to hand over the priest to Abu Sayyaf militants whose group is tied to al-Qaeda in Basilan island.
Filipino authorities tagged a rogue MILF leader Akiddin Abdusallam and his brother Waning Abdusallam, in the kidnapping of Bossi, a native of Abbiategrasso region (Lombardy).
In Bossi’s hometown, Italians held a silent torchlight procession and lit candles placed every night on windowsills and pray for his safe return.
A picture of Bossi also hangs from the windows of Rome’s City Hall. Another one is on display in Piazza del Campidoglio, according Saturday to PIME’s online publication, the AsiaNews.
It reported that Rome’s mayor, Walter Veltroni, said that the gesture “expresses Rome’s solidarity and hope that Bossi, who has chosen to dedicate his life to others, may soon be freed.
Fr Davide Sciocco, director of the PIME Missionary Centre in Milan, said the missionaries’ commitment in the Philippines have always pioneered inter-faith dialogue and peace-making.
“Choosing to stay in dangerous areas does not come from some kind of strange impulse but is an act of fidelity and hope for local communities who often live in difficult situations,” he said. (With a report from Joseph Danda)
Rouge members of the Philippines’ largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, kidnapped Fr Giancarlo Bossi, of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (PIME), after celebrating mass June 10 in the village of Bulawan in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Payao town.
The MILF, which is helping Philippine soldiers rescue the missioner, said its fighters destroyed the twin-engine speedboat used by gunmen in spiriting Bossi to a town called Naga, also in Zamboanga.
“Our troops have surrounded the area where the priest is believed being held hostage. We have blockades at sea and on land to prevent the kidnappers from escaping.”
“It is only a matter of time before we can back the Italian priest,” the commander of the Army’s First Infantry Division, Major General Nehemias Pajarito, told the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.
But there were no reports about Bossi’s fate. The MILF is helping Filipino security forces rescue the 57-year old priest.
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 the rebel group is actively operating.
The MILF said it is working closely with the government through the ad-hoc joint action group to track down criminals and terrorists.
A U.S. EP-3 Orion reconnaissance plane is also helping in the search in the mountainous area of Zamboanga Sibugay.
The kidnappers also tried, but failed to hand over the priest to Abu Sayyaf militants whose group is tied to al-Qaeda in Basilan island.
Filipino authorities tagged a rogue MILF leader Akiddin Abdusallam and his brother Waning Abdusallam, in the kidnapping of Bossi, a native of Abbiategrasso region (Lombardy).
In Bossi’s hometown, Italians held a silent torchlight procession and lit candles placed every night on windowsills and pray for his safe return.
A picture of Bossi also hangs from the windows of Rome’s City Hall. Another one is on display in Piazza del Campidoglio, according Saturday to PIME’s online publication, the AsiaNews.
It reported that Rome’s mayor, Walter Veltroni, said that the gesture “expresses Rome’s solidarity and hope that Bossi, who has chosen to dedicate his life to others, may soon be freed.
Fr Davide Sciocco, director of the PIME Missionary Centre in Milan, said the missionaries’ commitment in the Philippines have always pioneered inter-faith dialogue and peace-making.
“Choosing to stay in dangerous areas does not come from some kind of strange impulse but is an act of fidelity and hope for local communities who often live in difficult situations,” he said. (With a report from Joseph Danda)
Sunday, June 10, 2007
FLASH REPORT: Italian Priest Kidnapped In Southern Philippines
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