Malaysia transferred custody of five-suspected al Qaida linked Abu Sayyaf members to the government of the Philippines and are presently in the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP). The Abu Sayyaf members are accused of kidnappings and bomb attacks in the Philippines. U.S. authorities want one of the five members.
Earlier in the week, various news outlets reported that Philippine governor Tan survived an attack by unidentified assailants armed with automatic weapons and a bomb. The assailants directed the attack against the governor's convoy on Jolo Island. Although the governor escaped harm, five members of his security detail were wounded in the bomb blast. The bomb was rigged to a motorcycle parked on a road, which the governor’s convoy usually takes when he goes home for lunch every day. The reports stated there was a heavy exchange of automatic gunfire following the blast.
Meanwhile the government of the Philippines, through a team of Islamic preachers, continued to talk to the kidnappers of Italian engineer Eugenio Vagni, in hope of a release in the near future. Last month, Abu Sayyaf militants freed Swiss national Andreas Notter and Filipino engineer Mary Jean Lacaba, who were held with Vagni.
All three Red Cross officials were abducted on 15 January when they were visiting a prison on Jolo.
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