| RELATIVES
HOPING MORE WILL BE FREED JOLO (Philippines) -- Relatives of seven Malaysian hostages among the
captives flew to this southern island yesterday, expecting an imminent release after the
Abu Sayyaf rebels freed German teacher Renate Wallert on Monday.
""We hoped her
freedom would lead to more releases,'' President Joseph Estrada's chief aide, Executive
Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said in Manila.
Philippine negotiators
yesterday pressed Muslim gunmen to free their remaining 38 hostages, a day after they
released the ailing German woman.
Presidential palace sources
said Mr Estrada is hoping to get at least four more hostages freed before he flies to the
United States for an official visit next week.
Two of the nine Malaysians in
the group have been freed since then, but the gunmen have sought a US$1 million (S$1.75
million) for each of the remaining captives.
Sources said the expected
release of the seven remaining Malaysian hostages was put off yesterday due to a new
ransom demand by the Abu Sayyaf gunmen.
The sources close to the
negotiations said the gunmen were seeking an additional 70 million pesos (S$2.8 million).
--AFP
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