| EUROPEANS
SEEK HELP FOR SAYYAF CAPTIVES Three European
govern-ments want a third country to complement Philippine government efforts to free the
Abu Sayyaf hostages in Sulu, officials said yesterday as chief government ne-gotiator
Robert Aven-tajado turned over a second freed Malaysian hostage, Abdul Jawan Haj Salawat,
to Malaysian Ambassador Mohammad Arshad Bin Manzoor Hussein.
The Philippine
Embassy in Stockholm in a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), disclosing
the unofficial translation of the speech delivered by Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki
Toumioja’s before flying to the Philippines last week.
“Toumioja
said Finland, Germany and France would look for new ways to speed up talks aim at
releasing the 40 hostages. Other routes such as contacts with kidnappers through third
party countries, international organization or other intermediaries could be helpful,”
the report said.
The Finnish
foreign minister said the prospect should be conveyed to the Philippine government.
Toumioja along with Foreign Ministers Joschka Fischer of Germany and Hubert Vedrine of
France saw President Estrada on Thursday and the government chief negotiator on the
hostage crisis Sec. Robert Aventajado with Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora and Foreign
Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon Jr. on Friday.
Toumioja
reportedly raised the need to “assess on the basis of information that can be
obtained on the ground, whether or not some other or complementary negotiating channels
could speed up these negotiations aimed at freeing the hostages.”
“He said that
the Finnish side is ready to consider any realistic means that will produce results, but
this of course requires that the Philippine government and the hostage takers approve of
the involvement of such third parties. He declined to be more specific,” the embassy
report said.
Siazon admitted
the three Foreign Ministers repeated appeals to refrain from a military solution to the
crisis.
“Their
concern really is that in negotiating for some time now, there is a tendency for
governments to lose patience and from their perspective, they say such an option will have
great risk on the hostages,” Siazon said.
Aventajado said
the French Foreign Minister expressed impatience and explained that they are facing
mounting pressure from the families of the hostages and the French people.
Ping restive
Despite the
foreigners’ sentiments, Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Panfilo
Lacson insisted the hostage situation was purely a police matter.
At a recent Manila
Overseas Press Club forum, Lacson also vowed the destruction of the Abu Sayyaf Group,
which is holding 19 remaining hostages from Sipadan island, evangelist Wilde Almeda and
twelve disciples and four foreign journalists. The country’s top cop said the Sulu
crisis is no different from other common kidnap-for-ransom cases.
Seeming to chafe
against constraints imposed by the national government, Lacson said: “The hostage
crisis will be concluded sooner than soon. I can’t remember any group which can
outlast the arms of the law. We will bring the ASG straight to destruction even when the
camera lights are off.”
Lacson, however,
said he would abide with President Estrada’s decision, although he reiterated that
elite police forces remained eager to take on the extremist group.
No bias
Aventajado,
meanwhile, allayed apprehension that negotiators were giving priority to the release of
Asian hostages.
In a press
briefing, Aventajado said “the emissaries assigned to work with the Malaysians are
luckier.”
“We have to
adjust. We cannot say no if they (Abu Sayyaf) want to release one,” he pointed out.
Arshad admitted
the Malaysian government has assured rebels of “abundant livelihood assistance”
for the municipalities of Sulu, particularly Talipao, Patikul and Maimbung.
“We
(Malaysians) feel responsible since this incident took place in Malaysian territory. We do
feel responsibility that all hostages should be freed the soonest possible time,” the
envoy said.
--Charmaine C. Deogracias, Marian Trinidad and Faber Concepcion
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