MANILA, April 22 (Reuters) - The Philippines ordered 2,000 soldiers and police to move closer to a rebel hideout for a possible operation to free an Italian Red Cross worker held for over three momths, the provincial governor said. The government was concerned about the health of 62-year-old engineer Eugenio Vagni, who has difficulty walking due to hernia, said Abdusakur Tan, governor of Sulu province and head of the local crisis management team set up to oversee rescue efforts. "When we see the opportunity, of course we want to extricate him," Tan told reporters, adding about 2,000 soldiers and police officers had been ordered to move within striking distance of the the hideout of the Muslim rebel group Abu Sayyaf. "Given the opportunity, we will do that," Tan said. "We have to consider the health condition of Mr. Vagni." Vagni, Swiss national Andreas Notter and Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba, all officers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), were abducted by Abu Sayyaf rebels on Jan. 15 while on a visit to a prison on Jolo province, a rebel stronghold. (For a factbox on the Abu Sayyaf, click [ID:nMAN463434]) Lacaba was freed by the rebels earlier this month and newspapers have said ransom was paid. On Saturday, Notter was recovered near Indanan town on Jolo, but the circumstances surrounding his freedom were not clear. Notter himself said he was not sure how he walked to freedom, fuelling rumours that money also changed hands. Civilian and military officials have denied ransom was paid, insisting that Notter was rescued by police officers due to pressure exerted by security forces on the kidnappers. The Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent militant group, had earlier demanded that troops relax the tight cordon around the rebel hideout before talks for the hostages' release could start. When asked if the government was endangering Vagni's life with a military rescue, Tan said: "That is the risk that we have to take, but these are of course calculated, we are weighing our options." Tan said a team of Muslim clerics was sent to the rebel camp to seek the release of Vagni. There was no word on any progress. The Abu Sayyaf, with links to the Southeast Asian regional militant network Jemaah Islamiah and to al Qaeda, has been blamed for the worst militant attack in the Philippines, the bombing of a ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 that killed 100 people. It is also notorious for high-profile kidnappings and large ransoms and has a history of beheading captives. (Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing by Rosemarie Francisco and Sanjeev Miglani)
Anti-riot policemen block a theater artist members who protest outside the US Embassy in Manila April 1, 2009 to dramatize the sufferings and passion of the people as the predominantly Catholic ...
