| EARLY FREEDOM
SEEN FOR MALAYSIAN HOSTAGES JOLO, SULU (ABS-CBN) - Eight remaining Malaysian hostages
being held by Abu Sayyaf extremists in Sulu may be released within two weeks, a source
privy to hostage release talks said Tuesday.
The source did not say why only the Malaysian hostages would
be freed but added that the Abu Sayyaf apparently wanted to hang on to their Western
captives.
Among the Western captives are three Germans, two French
nationals, two Finns, two South Africans, and a Lebanese. Two Filipinos are among the
remaining 20 hostages.
Last weekend, backdoor negotiations obtained the release of
one Malaysian hostage, forest ranger Zulkarnain Hashim.
Government officials vehemently denied that a $1-million
ransom was paid in exchange for Hashim's release.
The speculation arose following a statement by Malaysian
foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar urging the Philippine government to reconsider its
no-ransom policy for the speedy release of the hostages.
The government insisted the release was an "act of
goodwill" by the Abu Sayyaf to signify their intention to continue with the
negotiations.
Asked about the prospect of the immediate release of all the
Malaysians, Badruddin Ab-Rahman, the Malaysian deputy chief of mission said "I do not
want to speculate".
"I think everybody is happy with the release and we hope
for the early release of all the remaining 20 hostages," Badruddin said.
Chief negotiator Robert
Aventajado has assigned one emissary for each of the five commanders of the Abu Sayyaf, a
source said.
The rebels are reportedly keeping the Asian and Western
hostages in separate hideouts to foil any rescue attempt.
Aventajado, who is in Manila, is likely to return to this city
with fellow government negotiator, Sulu governor Abdusakur Tan.
Meanwhile, emissaries for government negotiators said lines of
communication are being kept open with the Abu Sayyaf.
Press secretary Ricardo Puno confirmed that talks with the Abu
Sayyaf rebels are ongoing.
"At least, even if no formal meetings are taking place,
the lines of communication have remained open and the process is continuing for the
release of the balance of the hostages," Puno said.
"We are very optimistic that more of them would be
released," he said, adding that the rebels had indicated the possibility of more
releases after Malaysian captive Zulkarnain was freed.
"We're very hopeful as they (rebels) said there will be
others that will probably follow (Zulkarnain's release)," Puno said.
The Abu Sayyaf previously demanded political concessions and a
$21-million ransom for the freedom of the hostages.
On Monday, the kidnappers, through government emissaries, made
new demands including the release of back pay for "hundreds" of public school
teachers with unpaid wages stretching back to 1996.
The Abu Sayyaf also offered to free Malaysians in exchange for
the release of an elderly Filipino being held in a Malaysian jail.
Philippine ambassador to Malaysia, Jose Brillantes, assured a
check on the identity of the prisoner, Mohamad Aklan, an 85 year-old Muslim jailed in Kota
Kinabalu.
No prisoner
Malaysian authorities have denied any knowledge of a prisoner
whom the Abu Sayyaf want freed in exchange for their eight Malaysian hostages.
"There is no such prison inmate," said Abu Talib
Harun, state director for the National Security Division.
The message was delivered to the negotiators by a Malaysian
humanitarian mission which visited the Abu Sayyaf's jungle camp on Monday.
The humanitarian mission was able to see the Asian hostages
sheltered under a tent amid heavy rain, but not the Western captives.
The mission delivered 14 sacks containing clothes, food, and
reading and writing materials to the Asian hostages.
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