Gordon denounces ‘goodwill’ money for Vagni’s release

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Richard Gordon on Monday slammed the giving of "goodwill money" to Abu Sayyaf bandits who freed Red Cross worker Eugenio Vagni after nearly six months of captivity in southern Philippines. "...Had I known [that money would be given], I would not have allowed it. Not one penny," said Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), in an interview on GMA’s Unang Hirit. Gordon had long maintained that no ransom would be paid for Vagni’s release. Vagni was freed by his captors at 12:45 a.m. Sunday in Maimbung town in Sulu province in the southern Philippines. He was turned over to Sulu Vice Governor Nur-Ana “Lady Ann" Sahidulla, who admitted giving P50, 000 to Abu Sayyaf bandits asking for money to buy cigarettes. Sahidulla said the money came from her own pocket, and that the hostage takers made no ransom demand at all. For its part, the Philippine military said that it trusts Sahidulla’s best judgment in giving the amount to the Abu Sayyaf. "We can’t say there was something wrong with that. That was her own money. She’s a government official, and we have an assumption that she’s using her best judgment," said Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. in a phone interview with GMANews.TV. After Vagni was released, he was whisked to a military hospital in Zamboanga City for precautionary medical checks. He was taken to Manila past 11 a.m. Sunday where he was joined by his wife, Kwan, and daughter, Leticia. In Monday’s interview, Gordon said the Italian International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) worker is now in an undisclosed hospital, where he is undergoing a comprehensive check-up and stress debriefing. The senator said that it might take a long time before Vagni would be ready for normal life because he had been in captivity for nearly six months. Gordon added that Vagni might soon leave for Italy, where his freedom would be celebrated by his countrymen. "Malaking event ito sa Italy at importante rin [His arrival is a big and important event in Italy]," he said. On January 15, a faction of the Abu Sayyaf group abducted Vagni and his colleagues Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba and Swiss Andreas Notter. Lacaba was released on April 2 while Notter walked free from his captors on April 18. When asked whether ICRC and PNRC volunteers are still deployed in Mindanao, Gordon said there are Red Cross workers in Maguindanao and Cotabato provinces but none in Sulu province, where Vagni, Lacaba and Notter were seized. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV