THE military’s Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) has transferred on Saturday the former Italian priest, who was released by his captors in Sulu on Friday, to a military hospital in Zamboanga City.
Major Filemon Tan, Westmincom information officer, told said that Rolando del Torchio arrived around 7 a.m. Saturday at Camp Navarro General Hospital (CNGH).
Tan said Del Torchio was transported by the Navy’s Multi-Purpose Attack Craft from Jolo, Sulu.
“He (Del Torchio) was transferred to Camp Navarro General Hospital this morning for medical and psychological check-up and was later found to be in good health by the attending doctors,” Tan said.
He said the former priest will be turned over later to the Philippine National Police’ (PNP) Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG).
Del Torchio was released late Friday by his captors who are suspected by be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group after six months and one day in captivity in the hinterlands of Sulu.
Government operatives recovered Del Torchio around 7:30 p.m. Friday aboard a vessel, which was set to sail to Zamboanga City from the port of Jolo, Sulu.
Tan said the operatives decided to bring Del Torchio to Camp Gen. Teodulfo Bautista Trauma Hospital in Barangay Busbus, Jolo “due to assessed poor medical health and was taken cared of by military doctors.”
Kidnap-for-ransom-group gunmen seized Del Torchio on October 7, 2015 while the victim was attending his pizza parlor, Ur Choice Bistro Café, at Quezon Avenue, Barangay Miputak, Dipolog City, the capital of Zamboanga del Norte.
Tan identified Del Torchio’s kidnappers as the Muloc Group led by Julmin Muloc alias Commander Red Eye. They later handed over Del Torchio to the group of Abu Sayyaf Group sub-leader Idang Susukan.
Del Torchio, who was born in Angera, Italy, was ordained as a priest in 1984. He served as a missionary of the Vatican's Pontificio Instituto Missioni Estere (PIME) or the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions.
He was assigned in Sibuco, Zamboanga Del Norte, in 1988 and stayed there until 1996. Later on he transferred to Dipolog City and opened his pizza parlor in that city.
Meanwhile, Tan said Westmincom troops continue its intensified Focused Military Operations (FMO) in tracking down the ASG brigands responsible for the series of kidnappings and atrocities in the province of Sulu. (PNA)