ZAMBOANGA CITY – Abu Sayyaf rebels on Friday freed a former Italian missionary after six months in captivity in Sulu province in the southern Philippines.
Rolando del Torchio was already in a ferry bound for Zamboanga City when security forces learned about him release and immediately picked him up around 7.30 p.m. and then brought to an army base in Jolo town.
The 57-year old Torchio, from Angera, Italy was said to be in poor health and had to be taken to a military hospital. He was also interviewed by military interrogators, but details of his release were not made public by the army.
It was unknown how much ransom was paid by his family to the Abu Sayyaf.
Torchio, who owns a pizzeria in Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte province, was kidnapped by 6 gunmen in October last year. He worked as a missionary in 1984 with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions until 2001.
The Abu Sayyaf is still holding 10 Indonesians, four Malaysians, Dutchman, Ewold Horn; Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Japanese treasure hunter Katayama Mamaito.
The Abu Sayyaf demanded P21 million each for the Canadians and Norwegian and threatened to kill them if ransoms are not paid by their family and governments. (E. Dumaboc)
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