Andreas Notter

Andreas Notter, A 38 year-old Swiss national was abducted together with other ICRC workers, Italian Eugenio Vagni, 62, and Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba, 37.

They were last seen in the volatile southern Jolo island on Thursday, Jan 15, 2009 triggering the worst hostage crisis since Abu Sayyaf guerillas kidnapped foreign tourist several years ago.

Developments

• ICRC doing ‘initiatives’ for seized workers – With time running out, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is now carrying out “initiatives” for the release of three of its workers being held by the Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales refused to give further details Friday but said … read more
• Kidnappers in Philippines Threaten to Behead Red Cross Hostage  – A government official in the Philippines says kidnappers holding three Red Cross workers have threatened to behead one of their captives Tuesday by 2 p.m. local time (0600 UTC) unless police and troops withdraw from Jolo island. Authorities say the militant group Abu Sayyaf contacted the government late Sunday to … read more
• Marines clash with Abu Sayyaf bandits – Government troops clashed Monday with Abu Sayyaf bandits holding three Red Cross workers in Jolo, Sulu, possibly wounding a key rebel commander. Brigadier General Gaudencio Pangilinan said Marine snipers fired at a group of Abu Sayyaf gunmen who tried to breach a loose cordon around a forested area … read more..
• Sayyaf rejects troop pullout; fate of ICRC hostages hangs – Al-Qaeda-linked militants who had threatened to behead three Red Cross hostages rejected a limited pullout of government forces in exchange for the release of one of the captives, Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan said on Sunday. Abu Sayyaf Commander Albader Parad told him by phone that a limited withdrawal … read more
• Sen. Richard Gordon confident Abu leader will honor an agreement – Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, said Thursday he is confident the sub-leader of the notorious kidnap group Abu Sayyaf will honor their “gentlemen’s agreement” and free one of the three members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) once the military has … read more..