Mary Jean Lacaba, 44, was last seen by her family before she was deployed to work for a Water and Sanitation Project in Sulu Provincial Jail.

And then news broke out that she and her other co-workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were abducted in Sulu the night of January 15.

Mary Jean, Nene as what her family and friends call her, grew up in Davao where she graduated from the University of Mindanao with degrees in Civil Engineering and Education. She also earned her masters degree in Environmental Engineering from the same university in 2003.

Before Mary Jean worked for ICRC as field officer, she worked at the Tungkalan Elementary School in the late 80’s as a teacher, and later transferred to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Davao City as Clerk III before being promoted as Program Officer III.

In ICRC, she is directly involved with Water and Sanitation team that works in Mindanao. Mary Jean, together with Andreas and Eugenio were in Sulu to ensure that the Jolo Provincial Jail as well as nearby provinces and barangays will have access to safe drinking water.

Their concern for the safety and health condition of the prisoners in Jolo Provincial Jail is genuine to the point that they even ignored the peril and the threat in their lives, the danger that they will encounter in exchange for the betterment and the wellness of many in the war-torn areas of Mindanao.

Mary Jean and the two other ICRC workers were abducted by an armed group in Mindanao led by Albader Parad the night of January 15. From that day forward, the Philippine National Red Cross, its members and volunteers, and PNRC Chairman Senator Richard J. Gordon, stood by their side in seeking their safe release.

Gordon, together with the PNRC community, remained consistent on his call for sobriety and prayers and communicated patiently with the captors since the first day the ICRC workers were abducted.

The PNRC enjoined all its chapters to offer prayers for the safe, immediate and unconditional release of the three ICRC workers.

Even the Muslims and the Christians united in several prayer vigils appealing for the release of the ICRC workers abducted in Sulu.

Gordon had numerous phone conversations with Parad appealing and begging to release the three ICRC workers. The troops were even pulled-out in Indanan Sulu as requested by Parad’s group. After 77 days of being in the hands of Abu Sayyaf, Mary Jean was finally freed on April 2, 2009.

Parad handed over Lacaba to Sulu Vice Mayor Nuranna Sahidulla, who is chairman of the Red Cross Sulu Chapter, after Rep. Yusof Jikiri instructed her to go to Barangay Paligi in Indanan, Sulu.

“Lady Ann Sahidulla, chairman of Red Cross Sulu Chapter, informed me and even asked my advice regarding her plan to convince Albader Parad to free the Red Cross workers. We are very happy that she was able to convince Parad to free one of the Red Cross workers,” said Gordon.

According to Gordon, around 2 p.m. of April 2, Sahidulla, through a phone conversation, informed and asked advice from him regarding her plan of visiting the camp of Abu Sayyaf in Indanan Sulu.

Meanwhile, Gordon extended his appreciation for Sahidulla’s bravery and admired her clean intentions to help for the immediate and safe release of the ICRC workers.

“I admire her courage and bravery.

She is a true Red Crosser and I am really thankful that she was able to convince Parad to free Mary Jean. This is just a proof of Parad’s trust in the Red Cross,” Gordon said.