Italian envoy extends sympathy to families of slain Marine soldiers

By Ronron
July 12, 2007

The ambassador of Italy in Manila has extended his sympathy to the Philippines Marine Corps and the families of the Marine soldiers who died in an encounter in Basilan after conducting search operations for the abducted Italian Catholic priest, Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi.

National Security Adviser and concurrent Defense Officer-in-Charge Norberto Gonzales said Wednesday night he received a text message from Italian ambassador Reubens Fedele, expressing his feelings for the lives lost during last Tuesday’s encounter in Al-Barka town, Basilan between Moro fighters and Marines soldiers.

“The Italian Ambassador just texted me, expressing his sympathies and condolences that a part of our units has been ambushed while they were looking for Fr. Bossi,” Gonzales told Defense reporters at Camp Aguinaldo after presiding over a meeting of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), which he also chairs.

“I just got the text while we were having the meeting,” he said.

Gonzales said Fedele “is very, very sorry” that the incident happened “in the good effort that the Armed Forces is exerting to recover Fr. Bossi.”

Fourteen soldiers died while nine others were wounded during the nine-hour encounter.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) admitted it was its forces that clashed with the government forces for entering their territory without prior coordination, but the military believes there were Abu Sayyaf rebels there as well.

Bossi was abducted last June 10 in Payao, Zamboanga del Sur and various sources have said he is already in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). Earlier, the military said MILF renegade members were responsible for the abduction.

Asked if the heavy fighting indicates that the armed group is indeed holding Bossi there, Gonzales said: “It could be, it could be.”

Gonzales said the indications he received show Bossi is still alive but there is still no concrete proof of life.

“What I can always says is this is not going to be easy and it will take some time before we finally recover Fr. Bossi,” he said.

Told about the MILF’s admission, Gonzales gave an optimistic view, nevertheless, that it will not affect the peace talks of the government with the secessionist group.

But when told that the MILF will file a protest against the Armed Forces for violating the ceasefire agreement, the official said: “They were the ones who killed our troops, yet they will file a protest?”

MILF Public Information Officer Mohagher Iqbal had said that four MILF rebels also died and seven others were wounded in the encounter.

But Gonzales said the incident should not affect the peace talks, saying: “We cannot allow sparks of violence to sabotage or to end the peace talks. We will not allow that.”/DMS