MANILA, Philippines — With the safe recovery Monday of an Italian priest abducted by Muslim rebels in the Philippines six months ago, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo vowed to step up the fight against gangs who kidnap for ransom.
Giuseppe "Beppe" Pierantoni, 45, was kidnapped Oct. 17 in southern Zamboanga del Sur province by the "Pentagon" group, believed to be composed of former Muslim separatist rebels. The group is on Washington's list of terrorist organizations.
Freed around 2 a.m. Monday in the coastal town of Tungawan, Pierantoni was checked by a doctor and quickly transported to Manila.
"Welcome back, Father," a beaming Arroyo greeted Pierantoni on his arrival at the presidential palace.
But she had strong words for his captors, pledging: "We will not rest until this scourge has been wiped out of our land.'
Arroyo called on the army and national police force to intensify operations to wipe out the Pentagon and other kidnap-for-ransom gangs, saying, "My marching orders: Give them no quarter. Annihilate them."
Appearing thin but happy, a newly shaven Pierantoni called his release a "miracle of prayer."
"I believe that after six months of living in the forest and trying to escape the police and army, that it was a miracle that I got free without any harm," he said.
Meanwhile, a U.S.-backed military operation continues for the rescue of missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham of Wichita, Kan., and Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap, who are being held by the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim rebel group linked to the al-Qaida terror network.
They are the last hostages from an Abu Sayyaf kidnapping spree that began last May.
A counterterrorism training exercise involving 660 U.S. troops began in January with the goal of helping the Philippine military wipe out the Abu Sayyaf, which has beheaded a number of hostages, including American Guillermo Sobero.
U.S. military spokeswoman Maj. Cynthia Teramae said she was proud to hear about the hostage rescue.
"It gives us hope for the Burnhams and Miss Yap to come home soon, and it shows what a great job the Armed Forces of the Philippines is doing in their quest to counter terrorism here," she said.
National Police Chief Leandro Mendoza said police captured several Pentagon members two days ago and obtained details about the priest's whereabouts that allowed the military to tighten its cordon around the gang. He denied any ransom was paid.
However, no gang members were arrested. The Pentagon gang is still holding a South Korean man.
The Pentagon gang has been blamed in the past year for several abductions of foreigners and wealthy Filipinos. A Chinese engineer was killed and another wounded in a rescue attempt. Pierre Belanger of Ottawa, Canada, was rescued two days before Christmas after two months in captivity.
Several Islamic groups in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines have launched insurgencies in the impoverished south, which is home to about 5 million Muslims.