Until kidnapping in Sulu comes to an end, volunteers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will bar themselves from stepping foot on the islands, opting to channel donations through local government units. Jean-Daniel Tauxe, head of the Philippine ICRC delegation, said Thursday that not much has changed in Sulu two years after Abu Sayyaf gunmen hostaged three ICRC workers after they had inspected a jail water sanitary project in Jolo, the provincial capital. The rebel group Abu Sayyaf abducted Eugenio Vagni of Italy, Andreas Notter of Switzerland, and Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba on January 15, 2009. The three were released in succeeding months one by one – Lacaba and Notter separately in April, and Vagni in July. (See: Vagni finally released from Abu Sayyaf captivity in Sulu) “The situation so far which is prevailing will not allow us to take us the risk. If we would leave the people unattended, that will be unacceptable. So far we will not modify that position," Tauxe said. To bring aid to Sulu, the ICRC has opted to deliver humanitarian assistance to displaced civilians through the organization’s local partners, Tauxe said. If ICRC workers have to go to Sulu to meet with local officials, they are allowed only a day or two to finish their business, he added. The Geneva, Switzerland-based ICRC, which was established in 1863, describes itself on its website as an “independent and neutral organization" with its mandate stemming from the 1949 Geneva Conventions of 1949.
It works worldwide “to provide humanitarian help for people affected by conflict and armed violence and to promote the laws that protect victims of war."
The ICRC has worked in the Philippines since 1982, providing protection and assistance for internally-displaced people in Mindanao, detainees, and other people in need. The group holds office in Manila, Davao, Cotabato, and Zamboanga, with 145 staff including 32 expatriates in the country. Aside from Sulu, Tauxe said the ICRC has considered Somalia and Afghanistan as off-limits. He clarified, however, that the situation in the Philippines stands out. “You’re a democracy; it’s totally different. The Philippines, as I’ve said, is a paradise for tourists but at the same time has remote corners," Tauxe said.—PEII/JV
