Eugenio Vagni, kidnapped International Red Cross Worker, is free at last after more than half a year of captivity.
I learned about this good news at breakfast today while watching one of those informative morning shows on television. One of the guests in the show was the Task Force Comet head, a certain major general. This is the military task force that took charge of the rescue attempts and pursuit operations for the release of the three kidnapped IRC workers since these were taken captive by the Abu Sayyaf about six months ago.
The Armed Forces is claiming the credit for the release of the last of the kidnap victims, in spite of talks that ransom was actually paid to the Abu Sayyaf.
The major general was rather proud that it took the military just six months for the release of Vagni, compared to Gracia Burnham’s captivity of more than a year. That’s relatively short isn’t it?
The Philippine military commander is prouder still of the fact that in Columbia alone their contemporaries are dealing with more than 200 cases of kidnapping, relatively fewer than what they have to deal with.
These numbers must mean that the military is getting better in dealing with kidnapping cases, with lesser people getting killed in a shorter period of time. But then again six months of captivity for a kidnap victim will seem like a lifetime of uncertainty.
Military success in the recent Vagni release, according to the Task Force Comet head, was due to their strategy of making victims out of the Abu Sayyaf’s officers’ own relatives. So much for fair play and reviving prehistoric barter traditions.
In their pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf, the military was able to affect the arrest of two wives of one of the AS commanders, the killing of the child of another AS leader and the siblings of still another commander. The Abu Sayyaf indeed must pay a bloody price. Sometimes it is the innocents who have to pay the bloody price, just for being on the side of the bad guys.
And the strife in Mindanao rages on. With the military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf involving the loss of innocent blood, seeds of vengeance are sown anew. The cycle of war continues. I wonder how long it will take before the next kidnapping spree starts.
Artists, musicians and cultural workers will gather at the Kalinangan Telabastagan, along Mac Arthur Hiway City of San Fernando, on July 17, seven in the evening, for an art jam for a cause – Saving our Trees, or what’s left of them, along the historic MacArthur Hiway.
For those readers who would like share your music or lend your voice, we still need volunteers and we welcome donations in kind for the event. For details please contact 09228371707 or email mlcjdp@yahoo.com.
I learned about this good news at breakfast today while watching one of those informative morning shows on television. One of the guests in the show was the Task Force Comet head, a certain major general. This is the military task force that took charge of the rescue attempts and pursuit operations for the release of the three kidnapped IRC workers since these were taken captive by the Abu Sayyaf about six months ago.
The Armed Forces is claiming the credit for the release of the last of the kidnap victims, in spite of talks that ransom was actually paid to the Abu Sayyaf.
The major general was rather proud that it took the military just six months for the release of Vagni, compared to Gracia Burnham’s captivity of more than a year. That’s relatively short isn’t it?
The Philippine military commander is prouder still of the fact that in Columbia alone their contemporaries are dealing with more than 200 cases of kidnapping, relatively fewer than what they have to deal with.
These numbers must mean that the military is getting better in dealing with kidnapping cases, with lesser people getting killed in a shorter period of time. But then again six months of captivity for a kidnap victim will seem like a lifetime of uncertainty.
Military success in the recent Vagni release, according to the Task Force Comet head, was due to their strategy of making victims out of the Abu Sayyaf’s officers’ own relatives. So much for fair play and reviving prehistoric barter traditions.
In their pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf, the military was able to affect the arrest of two wives of one of the AS commanders, the killing of the child of another AS leader and the siblings of still another commander. The Abu Sayyaf indeed must pay a bloody price. Sometimes it is the innocents who have to pay the bloody price, just for being on the side of the bad guys.
And the strife in Mindanao rages on. With the military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf involving the loss of innocent blood, seeds of vengeance are sown anew. The cycle of war continues. I wonder how long it will take before the next kidnapping spree starts.
Artists, musicians and cultural workers will gather at the Kalinangan Telabastagan, along Mac Arthur Hiway City of San Fernando, on July 17, seven in the evening, for an art jam for a cause – Saving our Trees, or what’s left of them, along the historic MacArthur Hiway.
For those readers who would like share your music or lend your voice, we still need volunteers and we welcome donations in kind for the event. For details please contact 09228371707 or email mlcjdp@yahoo.com.
