ICRC denies ransom demand in the Philippines
The International Committee of the Red Cross has denied receiving any ransom demands from Islamist militants holding two European staff members in the Philippines.
A Philippines military report on Tuesday said that the Abu Sayyaf group that kidnapped three ICRC workers on the island of Jolo in January had demanded $5 million (SFr5.6 million).
The group last week released one ICRC worker, Mary Jean Lacaba, a Philippines national, last week.
The two remaining in captivity are a Swiss, Andreas Notter, and an Italian, Eugenio Vagni.
A statement from the Geneva headquarters of the Swiss-run ICRC on Thursday quoted Alain Aeschlimann, head of operations for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, as saying the abductors had apparently only been repeating their demand for a troop pullout.
He also pointed out that as a matter of policy, the ICRC did not pay ransoms in staff kidnappings.
“Making exceptions to such longstanding policy might endanger the ICRC’s security and its capacity to work in conflict zones and other sensitive areas in many countries, including the Philippines,” he said.
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