| PHILIPPINE
REBELS ALLOW FOOD SUPPLIES BROUGHT TO HOSTAGES JOLO, Philippines (AP)--Muslim guerrillas have allowed government
emissaries to resume deliveries of food, letters and other goods to 11 mostly Caucasian
hostages in a jungle camp after a three-week suspension, officials said Monday.
A government emissary took
food, stacks of letters and candy late Sunday to the 10 Caucasians and a Filipino woman,
moving some of the captives to tears in the hinterlands of Talipao on southern Jolo
island.
Abu Sayyaf guerrillas separated
the group from eight Malaysians and a Filipino man and prohibited any visit by government
emissaries about three weeks ago because of fears of a possible military rescue attempt,
negotiators said.
The rebels allowed visits and
food deliveries to resume after government negotiators gave an assurance they would not
endorse a military rescue.
An emissary brought the goods,
candies and German army food rations to the hostages.
The rebels are holding three
Germans, two French, two Finns, two South Africans, a Lebanese and a Filipino woman in one
camp in Talipao. About a kilometer away, the guerrillas are holding eight Malaysians and a
Filipino man in another camp.
The hostages were seized April
23 from the Malaysian diving resort of Sipadan and brought to Jolo.
Last Thursday, the rebels freed
one Malaysian hostage, Zulkarnain Hashim, as a gesture of goodwill and without payment of
a ransom, said Robert Aventajado, the chief government hostage negotiator.
An Abu Sayyaf commander, Galib
Andang, demanded Monday that the Malaysian government free a Filipino he identified as
Mohammad Aklam who is jailed in Kota Kinabalu, apparently in exchange for Zulkarnain's
release. He gave no other details on Aklam.
Andang also said no ransom was
paid for the release of the Malaysian hostage.
"We are swearing to God
that there was no ransom paid and we released the hostage because he is a Muslim,"
Andang said in a tape-recorded message.
A group of Christian
fundamentalists has arrived in Jolo and is planning to travel to the Abu Sayyaf camp in
Talipao to pray for the hostages and attempt to convince the guerrillas to release the
captives. Jolo is in Sulu province, about 940 kilometers south of Manila.
Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan
said he has refused to allow the group to travel to the camp and they would be on their
own if they insist on going.
The rebels have resented the
presence of Christian religious leaders in the southern Philippines and have staged
attacks on priests, nuns and churches.
Back to Sipadan Hostages News
Back
to This Week's Borneo News |
