Kidnapped priest rescued from Philippines captors

An Italian missionary priest was rescued in the southern Philippines early today after nearly six months in captivity, officials said.

Giuseppe ‘‘Beppe’’ Pierantoni was seized on October 17 in Dimataling town, in Zamboanga del Sur province, by the so-called ‘‘Pentagon’’ group that is believed to be composed of former Muslim separatist rebels.

He was freed around 2 am Monday (6pm Irish time Sunday) in the coastal town of Tungawan, in adjacent Zamboanga Sibugay province, said Brigadier General Angel Atutubo, who has headed a military force assigned to obtain the priest’s release.

The Philippines has been plagued by a rash of kidnappings-for-ransom by Muslim extremist groups and criminal gangs, emboldened by the success of the Abu Sayyaf in mass abductions over the past two years.

The Muslim rebel group has been linked to the international terror network led by Osama bin Laden.

The gang has been blamed in the past year for abducting an Italian, a Canadian, wealthy Filipinos and several Chinese engineers who were on a government irrigation project. Atutubo said no ransom was paid for Pierantoni’s release.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called Fr Pierantoni’s release ‘‘a big step towards peace’’.

‘‘After a fierce battle in the mountains of Mindanao, we have rescued Father Pierantoni,’’ she said in a radio address. ‘‘We are slowly reaping the fruits of our efforts to combat terrorism, poverty, crime, corruption and the respect for the rule of law.’’

Atutubo said Fr Pierantoni, who marked his 45th birthday in captivity in January, was in the custody of Arroyo aide Norberto Gonzalez and was being flown to Manila to meet the president.

‘‘Doctors have checked on him and he is fine,’’ Atutubo said.

There were previous false reports that Fr Pierantoni had been freed or that he died in December from an ailment.

Atutubo said three of Fr Pierantoni’s kidnappers were captured last week and provided information that helped officials track down the location where the priest was being held, allowing the military to tighten a cordon around the gang.

His Roman Catholic order, the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, said in February that it had received several pictures, an audio tape and a letter from him. One photograph showed a bearded Fr Pierantoni holding a copy of the January 11 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.