MANILA, Philippines—Cattle for hostages?

Promises of more cows, carabaos (water buffalos), tractors and development projects helped convince the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers to release Italian Red Cross volunteer Eugenio Vagni, a businessman involved in the hostage negotiations claimed Monday.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel, Armando de Rossi, a Filipino citizen of Italian descent, said reports of ransom payments or that a “prisoner swap” prompted the bandits to release Vagni were “completely a huge lie.”

“I’m very familiar with hostage negotiations and when hostages are released there is talk that payment has been made,” De Rossi said.

In Vagni’s case, he said, “there was no payment.”

Vagni, a 62-year-old engineer of the International Committee of the Red Cross, was freed on Sunday by his kidnappers six months after he was abducted on Jolo island, along with two other ICRC workers—Swiss Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba—while working to improve water and sanitation facilities in the provincial jail.

Lacaba was freed in April; Notter subsequently escaped.

De Rossi said that two factors helped in the release of Vagni: The arrest of two of Albader Parad’s wives—Rowena “Honey” Aksan and Nursima “Simang” Annudden—and the track record of his foundation.

“I knew they had a kind of influence on their husband. I talked to them and they knew me,” said De Rossi, who had been helping with the negotiations for the last two months.

“I told them: ‘You better tell your husband that if they don’t release Vagni, we will not continue these programs (where you) can make much money and that was what really convinced them,” he added.

No prisoner swap

De Rossi said that Parad’s wives were aware of the many development projects his foundation had done in Sulu.

Just 10 days ago, his foundation, which gets its funding from private donors in the United States, gave away more cows to Sulu residents, he said.

“I never heard of (prisoner) swapping. I was just given the opportunity to talk to the wives to convey to the Abu Sayyaf, to their families, the choices that they have for prosperity,” said De Rossi, who talked with the women at the military base in Jolo.
The two women were arrested at a military checkpoint on Tuesday.

De Rossi was previously involved in negotiations for the release of Italian priests Luciano Benedetti and Giuseppe Pierantoni who were kidnapped in Mindanao.

Benedetti was abducted in September 1998. He was freed two months later, reportedly after P500,000 was paid. Pierantoni was kidnapped in October 2001 and was released six months later.

De Rossi, a Sicilian who came to work in the Mindanao plantations 30 years ago, said that Vagni’s freedom was the result of two months of negotiations.

“There was discussion and they checked if the projects we did before were OK. They know I’m not political,” he said.

A little bit of money

Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the Philippine National Red Cross, told the forum that he did not know if there was ransom paid for Vagni.

He insisted that no money was handed out in exchange for Notter and Lacaba.

“The Red Cross cannot pay any ransom. That never happened and it will never happen. Why? Because if we do so, that would put our people in harm’s way all over the world,” Gordon said.

He surmised that Vagni was released with a “little of both” money and promises of development aid.

“A little bit of money but at the same time a little bit of talk of government in terms of providing needs for their people. Ninety percent amelioration of their problem and 10 percent ransom if there was any,” Gordon said.

“Is it the businessman Rossi? He promised tractors. He promised schools. He promised a lot of things … So who gave [a ransom]? Is it the government? Is it the Italian government. For me, that is beside the point,” Gordon said.

The senator said that when he initially talked with the kidnappers; they did not ask for ransom but only demanded development projects.

But later on, he heard that they were asking for P100 million for Vagni’s release.

Show of goodwill

Gordon said Sulu Vice Gov. Nur-Ana Sahidulla, who fetched Vagni, told him no ransom was paid but that she gave P50,000 to the kidnappers as “goodwill money.”

The senator said he suspected that in the case of Lacaba, a similar amount was also given “for goodwill.”

Malacañang downplayed Sahidulla’s claim. “The important thing is the outcome,” said Gary Olivar, deputy presidential spokesperson.

Gordon added that he was not convinced either that the arrest of Parad’s two wives prompted the bandits to release Vagni.

“Relatives of these people have been arrested before. I’m not trying to open a can of worms. I’m glad all these people are really out,” he said.

Gordon said it was the Abu Sayyaf who asked for foreigners like De Rossi to participate in negotiations.

“De Rossi filled in the void proposed by Red Cross. We said if kidnappings are gone, more assistance will be given by the Red Cross. We’ll provide water, health, better facilities so that people won’t get sick. De Rossi had offered agriculture, carabao,” Gordon said.

“There were other elements into the equation. I’m happy that [the negotiation] was concluded,” he added. With reports from Kristine L. Alave and Christian V. Esguerra