January 23, 2002, AFP, Workers release engineer kidnapped over wage dispute,

January 23, 2002, AFP, Workers release engineer kidnapped over wage dispute,

A group of Filipino workers at a British-funded project in the southern Philippines freed an engineer they had abducted over a salary dispute, police said.

The Filipino engineer, Jimmy Macusi, a consultant to a bridge-building project funded by Britain, was released near the town of Malabang early Wednesday after an understanding was reached with the project contractor over outstanding wages, police officials said.

Macusi's release had led to confusion earlier when police wrongly announced over local radio that an Italian Roman Catholic priest, Giuseppe Pierantoni held by a Muslim guerrilla group in the same area had been freed.

"What we have is Engineer Jimmy Macusi, not Father Pierantoni," Senior Superintendent Alex Bangkula, the provincial police chief in the area, told AFP, clarifying the earlier report.

The regional police command had said on local radio monitored in southern Cotabato city that the Bologna-based priest had been recovered and was en route to Manila.

"The initial report we got was that they got Pierantoni," said police spokesman Senior Superintendent Omar Pango Ali, acknowledging the mistake.

Police in the area later said the victim they recovered was indeed Macusi and not Pierantoni.

Bangkula said Pierantoni was held in the same area by another group, the Pentagon Gang of Muslim guerrillas.

The US government has blacklisted the group as a "terrorist" organization.

Gunmen seized the priest at his parish church in the southern town of Dimataling on October 17.

On Tuesday the Church released a recorded message from the Italian in which he assured colleagues and relatives he has not been harmed.

The priest had expressed his wish to be freed before his 45th birthday Thursday.

Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas are holding a US Christian missionary couple hostage on Basilan island in the south.