Manila (AsiaNews) – The Philippine government has declared a state of emergency on the island of Jolo to the south of the country after having launched a last appeal to kidnappers to release their hostages.  8 am this morning (Italian time) was the deadline set by the abductors, an extremist group linked to Abu Sayyaf, who on January 15th kidnapped three International Red Cross volunteers.  Christians and Muslims across the archipelagos are praying for the hostage release and an end to kidnappings.

The abductors are threatening to behead one of their hostages if the government does not withdraw its troops from the Island.  The army has surrounded the area and refuses to leave, leading to fears over the fate of the three; Italian Eugenio Vagni (39), Swiss Andreas Notter (39) and Philippine Mary Jean Lacaba.

Yesterday Pope Benedict  XVI and Jakob Kellenberger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) launched appeals for the liberation of the three: the pope asked “in the name of God” for their “liberation” and begged the authorities “to favour ever peaceful solution of this dramatic episode”. The Pontiff – continued the note sent to the Philippine Bishops Conference - makes his own “the concern of the families and of those who have at the heart the safety of the 3 humanitarian workers” and “wishes to raise his voice and to make an appeal that humanitarian feeling and reason might have the upper hand over violence and intimidation”.

The abductors are demanding the immediate and complete withdrawal of the government army from 14 villages in the province of Sulu, on the southern island of Jolo; a condition that Manila has dubbed ‘impossible’ and that would only unleash anarchy.  The army has surrounded the Islamic extremists – 120 in all according to the government – raising fears over the fate of the hostages.   Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno flatly rejected the Abu Sayyaf's demand, calling it "unacceptable." He said that while troops had been pulled back from their initial positions, they remained capable of launching an assault. Government Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, just hours before the deadline for the demand, reaffirmed Manila’s position: “we will not leave Jolo” to the extremists.

In his appeal, Jakob Kellenberger turned to the militants of Abu Sayyaf urging the “liberation” of the hostages: “All they were doing – underlined the ICRC president - was helping people in need in your area. There is no ideology or religious law that could justify killing them”.