Joji Ilagan-Bian, owner of JICCF, announced Monday that as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility, they will hold the Global Skills Showcase 2010 on October 18 to 19 at SM City Activity Center.

Bian said they will give back to the community what their students have learned from school.

“This event will give our students the opportunity to share their talents, skills, and to demonstrate what they have learned from the school as well as provide the chance to grow,” Bian said.

Jerico O. Paloma, SunStar Davao

To live up to his task, Nograles said he initiated many humanitarian, development and infrastructure projects not only in his legislative district, but to Davao City’s 2nd Congressional District too.

Nograles said his recent distribution of health cards was part of Oplan Kalusugan program which began in 2004. Members of the solon’s Team Nograles in the 2nd Congressional District composed of business leader Jojie Ilagan-Bian, former Davao City vice mayor Benjamin de Guzman and their eight candidates for the city council attended the ceremony.

Since 2004, more than 25,000 people have received their health cards free of charge. The card provides discount to patients in hospital expenses.

The solon said those who want to avail of free health cards or any of his programs can just go to his Davao City office or to village leaders who will assist them in their various needs.

Nograles is running for mayor in Davao City against the daughter of incumbent Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Sarah, who is also the current vice mayor. The solon’s son, lawyer Karlo Nograles, is also running for Congress against Mayor Duterte.

The Mindanao Examiner

Vagni was freed at around 1:05 a.m, said Gwen Pang, Philippine National Red Cross secretary-general.

“He is now receiving initial medical care at the 3rd Marine Brigade in Sulu,” Pang added.

The information, she noted, was confirmed to her and Senator Richard Gordon, PNRC chairman, by the chief of police of Sulu province.

In a separate television interview, Gordon maintained that neither the Italian Government nor the Red Cross paid ransom.

“The ICRC or the PNRC will not pay any ransom… The Italian government, they did not pay ransom as far as I know,” he said.

John Robert Esperat also of ICRC confirmed Vagni’s release, saying “he is okay.”
Esperat said Vagni was expected in Zamboanga by noon Sunday.

“There will be medical check-ups, after which he will be flying out of the country. We are very happy and glad for his release,” Esperat said.

A PNRC statement said, “Eugenio is ok and in relatively good health. We thank those who have continued praying for his safe release.”

Armed Forces Chief Victor Ibrado, in a text message to INQUIRER.net, said there was a plan to transport Vagni to Manila.

In an earlier interview, Pang said Vice-Governor Lady Anne Sahidulla went to the Abu Sayyaf lair in Indanan, Sulu on Saturday afternoon to pick up Vagni, a water systems expert who, prior to his release, was reported to have been suffering from hypertension and hernia.

In a radio interview, Sahidulla said Vagni lost some weight and has difficulty walking.

“He’s very grateful that he’s safe. He didn’t ask for anything. He didn’t know where he was taken for six months,” Sahidulla said.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, in a statement, had expressed “great satisfaction following the freeing, which has just happened, of our compatriot Eugenio Vagni.”

Frattini also passed on his “gratitude to the Philippine authorities.”

Vagni, 62, was seized by the militant group Abu Sayyaf with ICRC colleagues Andreas Notter of Switzerland and Mary Jean Lacaba of the Philippines in January while on a humanitarian mission on Jolo island.

In March a spokesman for Abu Sayyaf said one of the three captives would be beheaded if government forces did not withdraw from the island.

Manila initially rejected the demand, but relented after the ICRC’s president in Geneva made a rare public appeal for cooperation to save the lives of the three.

Troops retreated from the Abu Sayyaf’s jungle area, effectively leaving five towns on the island of Jolo under the group’s control.

Notter and Lacaba were freed the following month, although the terms of their release were not disclosed by either side.

The militants last month made a ransom demand for Vagni’s release.

Kristine L. Alave and Julie Alipala
Philippine Daily Inquirer
With reports from Joel Guinto, INQUIRER.net;
Agence France-Presse

In a statement posted on the ICRC website, Alain Aeschlimann, head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific, said that Vagni was able to speak to his wife last June 2 and 26, and the phone calls lasted for only a few minutes.

“It has now been more than five months since he was abducted. We know that being able to speak with his loved ones over the telephone is extremely precious to him. With more determination than ever, we are appealing for his immediate and unconditional safe release. His suffering must end at once,” Aeschlimann said.

When asked about Vagni’s overall health condition, Aeschlimann said the Italian volunteer “feels tired,” but continued to “show remarkable strength in the face of great adversity. His family is also displaying great stoicism.”

ICRC has refused to further provide information on Vagni’s health as it was a personal and private matter, Aeschlimann said.

He also expressed concern with the ongoing clashes in the province but said that ICRC was continuing its efforts to solve the crisis and for Vagni’s release.

Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno received word from emissaries that Vagni had called a relative yesterday, three days after government forces toned down its offensive to give way to fresh talks between his Abu Sayyaf captors and crisis managers in Sulu.

The Department of Interior and Local Government, however, would not disclose who took the call, at what time and where. Details on what was discussed were also withheld because of the sensitive situation on the ground.

The phone call was the first “proof of life” confirmed by government negotiators since losing contact with Vagni and his captors on June 2, the last time he called his wife.

The communication happened after Puno ordered a “toning down” of offensives against the Abu Sayyaf which has been holding Vagni for more than five months now. The strategy was employed as government officials approached negotiations through three channels, details of which they also could not make public.

Terror link

A cell of the Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked to the terrorist group al-Qaida, earlier released International Committee of the Red Cross volunteers Mary Jean Lacaba and Andreas Notter of Switzerland, who were seized with Vagni on Jan. 15 after a visit to a prison in Patikul town, Sulu province.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa told reporters yesterday that government troops remained in combat areas around Sulu, but offensives were recalibrated based on developments in the dialog between the negotiators.

“Depending on the negotiations or feelers received by the crisis management committee, we can adjust our deployment without necessarily reducing the number of our personnel. We shift forces from one area to another,” he added.

Verzosa said military operations would continue to pursue bandits responsible for recent deaths on the side of government troops as well as efforts to rescue Vagni, who is believed to be with a smaller splinter cell of Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad.

Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Vagni is “very safe and healthy,” quoting reports from emissaries that he did not identify.

“We have opened three new areas of discussion with the kidnappers and we received reports from local officials there that Mr. Vagni is safe and he is healthy,” Puno said.

“There’s a pursuit operation going on there which have resulted in a lot of casualties on both sides, so we are hoping that with a slight pause in the operations, the ASG will find its way to discussing with us the immediate release of Vagni,” Puno added.

Proof of life

PNP Chief Director General Jesus Versoza, in a separate interview, supported Puno’s statement, dismissing reports that the Italian hostage had been killed.

“Those were just reports, and we have proof of life,” Versoza said. He said police received the proof of life “about two or three weeks ago.”

Puno admitted no phone calls had been made with Vagni.

“As you know the ASG there are on the run, so there is very little communication going on by telephone in that area, but there are emissaries that have been going back and forth that have been delivering messages,” Puno said.

Puno said Vagni and his kidnappers “are still in the same area, but we cannot mention that specific place because it will prejudice security operations.”

General location

Versoza said the kidnappers holding Vagni are “in general areas of Indanan and Patikul town.”

“We believe that he is in Sulu and he is inside Sulu based on our monitoring,” he said.

But Brig. General Muhammad Nur Askalani, chief of the government’s Ad-Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), expressed concern over the lack of regular reports on Vagni’s whereabouts.

The AHJAG is a monitoring mechanism set up by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“Before, we got regular monitoring update but lately we didn’t hear anything from him. The last time we heard was early part of June,” Askalani said.

The Abu Sayyaf is one of two groups that US military officers said were the main reasons for US military presence in Mindanao.

US Air Force Maj. John Hutcheson said US soldiers were sent to selected areas in Mindanao to help the AFP flush out foreign members of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a Southeast Asian terror network with ties to Al-Qaida, and the Abu Sayyaf.

“The ASG and the JI are the number one reason we are here assisting the (Armed Forces of the Philippines) in the Southern Philippines,” said Hutcheson, public affairs chief of the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines (JSOTFP), a group overseeing the operations of US and Philippine soldiers taking part in anti-terrorism exercises in Mindanao.

Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao

In a statement posted on their website, Alain Aeschlimann, ICRC head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia, and the Pacific, said Vagni last contacted his wife on June 2 and has not contacted any friends or family members since.

“As ever, we’re very worried about Eugenio. We hope we will hear from him soon and that he’s okay,” Aeschlimann said.

Meanwhile, attempts to rescue Vagni are ongoing.

In a report from the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police, a soldier was hurt when members of the Philippine Marines encountered the group of Dr. Abu and Albader Parad at the villages of Tukay and Paugan in Parang town Sunday morning.

The report said one Corporal Christopher Aypa was wounded in the incident that occurred at 6:05 a.m., while at least three members of the rebel group were killed.

Continuing clashes between government troops and the rebels have worried the ICRC, Aeschlimann said.

“That kind of news always leaves us very concerned for Eugenio’s safety, because we don’t know where he is. And of course we’re concerned about the fate of any civilians in the area who are affected by the fighting. Our concern also extends to the people who are working to bring about Eugenio’s release. We regret the loss of civilian life and express our sympathies to the families of those killed in the line of duty,” he added.

The ICRC official also admitted that the organization was under “immense pressure” because of the situation.

“We are maintaining contact with everyone involved in efforts to resolve this crisis, in particular the local and national authorities. We emphasize once again that Eugenio’s safety is our primary concern,” Aeschlimann said.

Vagni has been held captive for 159 days now.

Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net

In a statement posted on their website, ICRC’s head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific Alain Aeschlimann expressed relief over the release of three teachers in Zamboanga City last Tuesday, and expressed hope that Vagni would also be released soon.

“The other people who have been kidnapped in the southern Philippines in recent weeks are always in our thoughts. We are of course very happy about the news that other hostages have been released. We hope that Eugenio, too, will soon be free,” Aeschlimann said.

“We are sparing no effort to bring about Eugenio’s release. This crisis has gone on for far too long. We are in close contact with everyone involved in efforts to resolve the crisis, in particular the local and national authorities. We remain hopeful that the outcome of these efforts will be positive,” he added.

Aeschlimann revealed that Vagni last contacted his family on May 24, but said that telephone contact alone was not enough to console Vagni’s family and colleagues.

“It is impossible to imagine the pain and anguish they are going through. We are keenly aware of the distress they are feeling and hope this nightmare will soon be over. We hope they will soon be holding Eugenio in their arms again. We try to comfort them, but only Eugenio’s release will bring any real relief,” the ICRC official said.

Aeschlimann also condemned Vagni’s abduction, saying the incident “trampled on fundamental humanitarian principles and international law.”

Nevertheless, he said the ICRC would continue to provide humanitarian services in Mindanao, particularly in distributing food and household items to around 160,000 displaced people in the region.

Vagni and two of his colleagues, Mary Jean Lacaba and Andreas Notter, were abducted last January 15. Lacaba and Notter were earlier released with no ransom paid, authorities said.

Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net

Built on March 2, 1702 by the great, great grandmother of the late Antonio Loveria, a descendant of the well-known Borromeo clan, the house, located along F. Lotivio, Bagumbayan, Daraga, Albay has withstood carpet bombings by the American liberation forces, and the deadly typhoons that often visits the Bicol region.

“It is one of five houses that survived the war, after every house and well known structures were leveled to the ground in Daraga,” said previous owner, Emma M. Loveria.

The house is made of lime which was a common construction material during the 1700s. Its ground floor is made of polished stone.

During World War II, the old house in Ilawod, as some townsfolk fondly calls it, served as the headquarters of the Japanese Imperial Army.

Some bullet holes were found on the windows, indicating a fierce fire fight between Japanese soldiers and the liberating forces.

Today, the house has been renovated to look like the original one.

Its present owners, couple Sheldon and Med Villanueva nee Vallejo, has transformed the place into a world-class restaurant any tourist visiting the place would certainly enjoy.

Med and Sheldon has named the place Balay Cena Una, and is managed by Ma. Lourdes Villanueva, the couple’s daughter.

Any tourist coming to the region will enjoy visiting this old house as it serves international cuisine provided for by executive chef Bert Clemena who has trained as a chef in France. (Philippine News Agency)

Vagni, according to ICRC Asia-Pacific chief Alain Aeschlimann, called his family on Friday, after more than a week of silence on his end.

“He was able to call his family on the morning of Friday, 8 May. However, the entire situation is difficult for his loved ones, who of course remain very worried about him. We are keenly aware of the distress they are feeling,” Aeschlimann said in a statement.

Vagni was seized on January 15 by gunmen on the island of Jolo, along with two other ICRC workers, who were freed last month.

The other two hostages were Mary-Jean Lacaba, from the Philippines, and Andreas Notter, from the Switzerland. The three were abducted after inspecting a water sanitation project in the Sulu provincial jail.

Vagni, a 62-year-old water systems expert, has been held captive for 115 days. Aeschlimann said the situation was taking its toll not only to Vagni’s family but also to the organization.

“At the ICRC, we also remain very worried about Eugenio’s safety and well-being. His captivity is an agony for him, for his family and friends, and for the entire ICRC,” he said.

“Eugenio went to the Philippines to work in the spirit of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It hurts to see people who respond to crisis with purely humanitarian intentions become the victims,” Aeschlimann added.

Before Friday, the last time Vagni communicated with his family was last week. Vagni is suffering from hernia and in need of medical attention, the ICRC said. The group reiterated its appeal to Vagni’s captors to release him immediately.

The ICRC official stressed that they have not received any ransom demands from Vagni’s captors almost four months since the abduction and that efforts were underway to free the Italian, Aeschlimann said.

The organization would also not pay for information regarding Vagni’s condition and whereabouts, he said.

Doing so would jeopardize the work of other ICRC workers, especially those posted in conflict areas, Aeschlimann said.

“There are no exceptions under this policy. Let me also say very plainly that the ICRC is not offering to pay – and will not pay – for information on Eugenio,” he said.

Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer