Ingezonden persbericht

Manila/Geneve/Den Haag, 2 april 2009

Rode Kruis bevestigt vrijlating gegijzelde hulpverlener Filippijnen

Het Rode Kruis bevestigt de vrijlating van Mary Jean Lacaba, een van de gegijzelde hulpverleners op het eiland Mindanao in de Filippijnen door de Abu Sayyaf Groep. Zij verkeert in goede gezondheid, maar maakt zich ernstige zorgen om haar nog in gijzeling verkerende collega's Eugenio Vagni en Andreas Notter.

Sinds de ontvoering op 15 januari zet het Internationale Comité van het Rode Kruis samen met het Filippijnse Rode Kruis alles op alles om deze situatie op te lossen.

'Voor Eugenio Vagni en Andreas Notter, hun familie en dierbaren en voor het Internationale Comité van het Rode Kruis is deze nachtmerrie nog niet ten einde', aldus Alain Aeschlimann, hoofd van het ICRC in Zuidoost-Azië. 'Nogmaals, ik vraag om hun veilige, onvoorwaardelijke en onmiddellijke vrijlating'.

Hieronder volgt het volledige Engelstalige bericht van het Internationale Rode Kruis (ICRC)

Philippines: ICRC confirms release of one kidnapped staff member

Manila / Geneva (ICRC) - Mary Jean Lacaba, one of three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff who were abducted in the southern Philippines on 15 January, has been released.

Ms. Lacaba was freed today by the abductors at around 9 pm Manila time. She appears to be in good health, although very tired and extremely worried for her two colleagues, Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter, who are still being held hostage.

While relieved that Ms Lacaba will soon be back with her family, the ICRC remains very concerned about the safety of its other two kidnapped staff.

"For Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter, their loved ones and the whole of the ICRC, the nightmare of this abduction is not over," said Alain Aeschlimann, the ICRC's head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific. "Once again, we ask that they remain unharmed. While we welcome this first positive move, especially after a very tense and difficult week, we reiterate our appeal to the kidnappers to let Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter go without delay and unconditionally."

Referring to recent official and behind-the-scenes endeavours to resolve the ordeal, Aeschlimann said the ICRC appreciated all genuine efforts that had been made.

"We are grateful to various high-ranking government officials for their efforts. I would also like to thank our colleagues at the Philippine National Red Cross Society, in particular its Chairman Richard Gordon, for their unwavering support during this difficult time," said Aeschlimann.

"I hope that Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter will soon be home safe and sound, and that we will at last be able to hold them in our arms."

For further information, please contact:
Anastasia Isyuk, ICRC Manila, tel: +639 1890 72125
Dorothea Krimitsas, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 25 90 or +41 79 251 93 18
Florian Westphal, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 79 217 3280

Noot voor de redactie,