12 July 2000 - ABS-CBN

JOLO, (ABS-CBN) - Officials of the Jesus Miracle Crusade (JMC) international ministry believe Almeda will be able to leave the Abu Sayyaf lair unscathed.

They insist their leader and his 12 followers are not being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf.

In a telephone interview, Wilde's wife Lina, accused the media of sensationalizing reports.

She believes the intentions of her husband and his followers are pure and will benefit the greater good.

"Ang pagtungo ng grupo ay para ibahagi ang salita ng Diyos. Sinasabi nila nakadadragdag kami sa gulo...para sa amin ang aming ginagawa ay malaking tulong," Almeda's wife told TV Patrol.

["The group's journey to the Abu Sayyaf lair is for us to spread the Word of God. Others say our presence only made matters complicated, but for us, this is already a big help to the hostage crisis."]

"Media exaggerated. Hindi sila bihag. One hundred percent na hindi sila bihag sapagkat sila mismo ang tumungo doon sa lugar ng ating brother Muslims na Abu Sayyaf," Linda, who is also assistant pastor of the Christian evangelist group, added.

Ministry officials said their brothers remain in the mountain hideout of the extremist group of their own volition.

"May emmisary na nagbabato ng information . . . maganda ang pagkakatanggap sa kanila . . . treated as guests," JMC spokesperson Bro. Raf Blanco said.

Asked how they know so, the spiritual leaders said they are in touch with Almeda through radio journalist, Zeny Masong, Radyo ng Bayan station manager in Jolo.

The evangelists ventured into the Abu Sayyaf lair last July 1 to "pray over" the 20 hostages, after handing over $3,000 and 35 sacks of rice to the extremist group.

No political issues
Tan brushed aside threats by the Abu Sayyaf to harm Almeda and his followers, that is, if the military will not withdraw from the controlled-territories of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

For the evangelists' freedom, the Abu Sayyaf is demanding the withdrawal of government troops from camps seized from the MILF, a separate group of Muslim rebels also fighting for an independent Islamic state in the South.

The reported demand strengthens government suspicion that the two rebel groups have forged an alliance.

Another demand is for the five million followers claimed by the JMC to appeal to the United Nations (UN) to look into the plight of impoverished Muslims in the Philippines.

During the initial stage of the hostage crisis, the Abu Sayyaf had demanded that an international commission be formed to probe the condition of Muslims living in Sabah, Malaysia.

The 20 hostages were seized April 23 from a Malaysian diving resort and taken by boat to Jolo island in Sulu province.

Governor Tan arrived in Sulu on Tuesday to prepare for a continuation of hostage release negotiations.

He said Aventajado and former Libyan ambassrador Rajab Azzarouq are expected to arrive in the province within the week.

Earlier, Aventajado disclosed that the Abu Sayyaf expressed its intention to end the two-month long hostage crisis in Sulu.

Andang has reportedly requested him to send two people to act as a go-between for the government and the Abu Sayyaf.

Aventajado declined for now to divulge the identity of the two mediators.

(With reports from Mandy Francisco and the Associated Press)

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