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Saturday, July 21, 2007
Fr. Bossi released
MANILA -- Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi, who was kidnapped by Islamic militants, broke down in tears Friday as he described his six weeks of captivity in the Philippine jungle.
Bossi, freed overnight after days of negotiations with the militants led by a former Islamic rebel, said he was repeatedly forced to march through the jungle at gunpoint as his captors tried to evade the authorities.
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The 57-year-old said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had told him, in a brief meeting, that 14 Philippine marines had been killed while they were searching for him on Basilan island in the south, which is a stronghold of Muslim rebels.
“I feel so sorry because had I was not kidnapped they would be still alive. They went there because of me, so when the General last night related to me, I feel so sorry really and sad,” Bossi said.
Arroyo, in a statement, said the country “rejoice over the safe release of Fr. Bossi. We thank our soldiers, police and concerned civilians who valiantly worked for his freedom. Fr. Bossi is now in good hands. We pray that he could soon gather his strength and recover from his ordeal.”
She first announced the rescue of Bossi during the launching of the Human Security Act or Republic Act 9372.
Bossi said his kidnappers had told him that they were members of Abu Sayyaf, an extremist groups that the US and Philippine governments say is linked to Al-Qaeda.
But police said his captors were members of a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a separatist guerrilla group holding peace talks with the Philippine government.
Bossi said his abductors were taking orders from an unnamed person by mobile telephone and were seeking a P50-million ransom to raise money to prepare for an unspecified rebel operation.
“I was the means to get a ransom. That’s what they told me,” he said. “I memorized their faces and said, ‘If I see any of them around I will go to the police and tell them—That is one of my kidnappers,’” he said.
Philippine officials insisted no ransom was paid, and Bossi said he did not see any exchange of money.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon assured that Bossi’s release from captivity did not include any ransom.
Esperon, who was in Cebu Friday to meet with military and police officials regarding internal security operations, said he hoped their efforts in Mindanao contributed to the release of the Italian priest.
“The military forces there were bent on rescuing him and so we put pressure on several fronts. So if that contributed to the release, then we are happy. But kung hindi man kami naka-contribute, then the mere fact that na-release na si Fr. Bossi should be enough to make us, make everybody happy,” Esperon told reporters Friday.
Esperon declined to say what their next move against Bossi’s captors is.
“Abangan nyo nalang ‘yung move naming (Watch out for our next move),” he said.
However, he said an all-out war is the last resort.
“You know already that we have two battalions na additional sa Basilan. We can add more forces if we want to,” Esperon said before leaving the Central Command for Manila.
In Rome, Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the news with “great joy,” said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.
Italian Ambassador Reubens Fedele expressed his government’s gratitude to the Philippines during the courtesy call of Bossi to Arroyo in Malacañang.
Interior and Local Government Ronaldo Puno said the combined military and police led to rescue of Bossi.
He said the after mission report is still being finalized along with the names of those responsible for the abduction.
He said at least 14 men were directly involved in the abduction and detention of the priest, although the nine have immediately escape when authorities were closing in on them. He did not say if the five others have been arrested or what happened to them.
Asked if the Abu Sayyaf was involved in the kidnapping, Puno said the rebel group had been mentioned a lot but he does not want to preempt the report charge sheet that the police are preparing.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) lauded authorities for the safe recovery of Bossi.
“We welcome with joy and gratitude the release of the missionary, Fr. Giancarlo Bossi, by his abductors,” said CBCP president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo.
While he thanked the government in ensuring the safe release of Bossi, Lagdameo said the incident, more importantly the deaths of 14 members of the Philippine Marines, should serve as a lesson.
The 14 Marines were ambushed by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation MILF while on their way back to their camp in Basilan province after searching for Bossi. Ten of the fatalities, one of them a Cebuano, were beheaded and mutilated.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines yesterday said it can now launch massive operation against the kidnappers of Bossi now that the priest has been released. (AFP/Sunnex/MEA of Sun.Star Cebu)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (July 21, 2007 issue)
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