JOKER'S WILDE: NO HOSTAGES, SAYS FOLLOWER
By Faber Concepcion
ZAMBOANGA CITY— Evangelist Wilde Almeda
and l2 of his “prayer warriors” are not being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf in
the terrorists’ lair on Sulu Island, a member of the Jesus Miracle Crusade
International Ministry (JMCIM) here said.
Tabul, a JMCIM follower, told THE MANILA
TIMES Almeda and his group were “willing hostages” who were allowed by the
terrorists to stay in their lair for 40 days and 40 nights of fasting and prayer and
conduct healing sessions to the mostly foreign captives being held in Sulu since April 23.
Yesterday, however, Press Secretary Ronaldo
Puno contradicted Tabul’s statement, saying that the terrorists had detained Almeda
and his group — a development which could complicate negotiations for the release of
the foreign hostages.
Puno told a press briefing in Malacañang
that the Abu Sayyaf stripped and relieved members of the Almeda group of their belongings
even before they reached the terrorists’ camp.
Earlier, Malacañang ordered the police to
investigate the veracity of the reported hostage-taking of Almeda and his group as well as
that of Andreas Lorenz, a correspondent of the German magazine Der Spiegel.
The terrorists reportedly snatched Lorenz in
Barangay Kasalamatan on the outskirts of the Sulu capital town of Jolo.
But to Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon Jr.,
Lorenz’ reported abduction was the least of his worries, saying the government is
more interested in finding a solution for the release of hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf.
“There’s a saying (that) if
you’re bitten by a dog, okay lang. But if
you’re bitten by the same dog twice, shame on you,” Siazon told DFA reporters,
adding:
“Sinabi
na huwag ng pumunta doon, anong magagawa mo. Of course, we will be blamed but we have
warned them already.”
Siazon was referring to the warning of the
government and the German Embassy for journalists not to go alone and interview the
terrorists without coordinating their movements with proper authorities.
Lorenz was apparently one of the l2 foreign
journalists who were earlier held captive by the Abu Sayyaf and released only after they
had paid a “ransom” and divested of
their valuables.
Sulu Gov. Abdasakur Tan said he also warned
Almeda and his group from proceeding to the terrorists’ lair. “I told them
it’s not safe to go to the hills as they could be held for ransom but they were very
insistent,” he said.
The news of the abduction of Almeda and his
group was first reported by Sali Pendatun, who was hired by the evangelist to drive them
to the Abu Sayyaf camp.
But one of the terrorist leaders, Commander
Robot promised to allow the Almeda group to leave their camp anytime they want. “We
will send them out if they want to, even if they cannot endure 40 days of fasting and
healing,” he told a radio interview in the Tausug dialect.¨
With Manny Marinay, Charmaine Deogracias and Macon Ramos-Araneta
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