| RELEASE OF
MALAYSIAN HOSTAGES STALLED ZAMBOANGA CITY, (ABS-CBN) - A sudden snag in talks Tuesday
with the Abu Sayyaf preempted the release of at least seven Malaysian hostages of the Abu
Sayyaf in Jolo, Sulu.
Reports gathered by the ABS-CBN news team said government
negotiators and the Abu Sayyaf, led by Galib Andang alias Commander Robot, were not able
to agree on the number of hostages that would supposedly be released Tuesday.
ABS-CBN news sources also said that the Abu Sayyaf wants the
ransom payment for the Malaysians increased.
Despite a sudden snag in talks, government negotiators working
for the release of the hostages being held in Jolo, Sulu are confident that at most, seven
Malaysians will be freed Wednesday.
The delay could be a blessing in disguise though, as some
Filipino hostages might be released as well.
Aside from the Malaysian nationals, the two Filipino cooks
seized along with 21 mostly foreign captives from a Malaysian diving resort last April, as
well as the three remaining captives of an Abu Sayyaf faction taken from Basilan province,
may also taste freedom.
"Nilalakad na ang release ng pitong
Malaysians, and iyung Filipino hostages taken from Sipadan and Basilan. May slight
problem lang kaya hindi agad na-release," Sulu governor Abdusakar Tan said in
an interview on Pulso, Aksyon Balita.
["The release of the seven Malaysian nationals are still
being worked out. The same goes for the Filipino hostages taken from Sipadan and Basilan.
There was only a slight problem which stalled their release."]
Money talks
A report on Pulso, Aksyon Balita said a Malaysian
chartered plane carrying Malaysian representatives Yusof Hamdan and Usman Hassan, and a
Filipino interpreter reportedly from the camp of Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs
Lee Peng Wee, arrived at the Jolo airport early Tuesday morning.
But after long hours of waiting, no hostages were released.
The 28-seat Malaysian plane is reportedly standing by at
Zamboanga's airport to take the Malaysian nationals home.
In an Associated Press report, the negotiators had reportedly
agreed to pay a ransom of P3 million (US$ 67,400) for each of the Malaysian hostages.
But at the last minute, the Abu Sayyaf raised their ransom
demand to an undetermined amount, thus blocking the release.
The Abu Sayyaf have already freed two Malaysian hostages - a
policeman was released last Friday following the release of a forest ranger last month.
On Monday, the rebels released their first European captive, ailing German woman Renate
Wallert. Since the 21 hostages were abducted April 23 from Malaysia's Sipadan diving
resort, Muslim extremists on Jolo have kidnapped several other groups and now hold about
38 people.
The release of Wallert appeared to mark a turning point in the
negotiations.
Earlier, Aventajado said he expects the four remaining female
hostages from Sipadan will be freed soon.
The remaining hostages consist of five French, three Germans,
two Finns, two South Africans, a Lebanese, seven Malaysians and 18 Filipinos. All but a
German journalist are believed to be held by the Abu Sayyaf, a band of Muslim extremists
accused of a wide range of kidnappings and attacks on Christians in the past.
As of late Tuesday, reports said government negotiators and
the rebels and are still talking over the impending release.
A question of ransom
Despite the Philippine government's firm stand against paying
ransom money, the Associated Press report said the Malaysian negotiators have confirmed
that ransoms had been paid for the two Malaysians who were earlier released.
The Malaysian government has also promised to provide
development assistance through the Philippine government for Jolo, at the southern tip of
the Philippines.
Commander Robot has given up an earlier demand that an
independent nation be created in the impoverished South for the country's Muslim minority.
Reports said he continually demands US$ 1 million for each
European hostage. It is not clear, however, how much control Andang has in the
negotiations.
Three other Abu Sayyaf leaders have clashed with him over the
large ransom demand and the withdrawal of the demand for an Islamic state, officials said.
Two groups of negotiators are working for their release.
One, consisting of Wee's group and several Malaysian officials
and businessmen are attempting to free the Malaysians and three Filipinos kidnapped on
nearby Basilan Island.
The second led by chief government negotiator Robert
Aventajado is working to free the others.
End of Basilan hostage crisis?
Like Tan, Sulu vice governor Estino Munib is confident that
the three remaining hostages, taken by the group of Khadafy Janjalani from Basilan last
March, will be freed Wednesday.
School teachers Teresita Academia and Erlinda Manuel, and the
son of a slain civilian volunteer, 16-year-old Richard Quintos, initially along with 50
others, were abducted by the Muslim extremist group from two public schools in Sumisip,
Basilan.
Military operations and negotiations resulted to the release
of most of the hostages except for the remaining three.
(With reports from Erwin Tulfo and the Associated
Press)
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