25 July 2000 - ABS-CBN

ZAMBOANGA—Negotiators sent emissaries yesterday to pick up three Malaysian hostages expected to be freed by Muslim rebels after three months of captivity in primitive hideouts in the jungle of Patikul town on Jolo Island.

But hopes were dashed later in the day when one emissary said continuing rebel disagreements over ransom would once more delay the promised release.

At the same time, the emissary told THE MANILA TIMES rebels continued to refuse appeals to throw in the freedom of two Filipinos as a “bonus” for negotiators.

The three hostages were supposed to be freed with a group of four other Malaysians last Friday, but their release was apparently blocked by a dispute among the rebels over the division of the ransom money, negotiators said.

The negotiators hoped to convince the rebels to also free two Filipinos, but that appeared to be unsuccessful, they said.

If the Filipinos are not released now, they are likely to remain captive for a considerable time since Abu Sayyaf leaders have agreed that European hostages should be freed next after the Malaysians, the negotiators said.

Meanwhile, two journalists covering a hostage crisis in the southern Philippines for a local television network were seized Monday by armed men, their driver said.

The journalists, Val Cuenca and Maan Macapagal, who work for the ABS-CBN network, were traveling to an Abu Sayyaf rebel hideout to interview foreign hostages when three armed men stopped their vehicle and got inside, the driver said.

Aborted

The release of the three Malaysians would leave seven Europeans, two South Africans and two Filipinos still in captivity from the Sipadan group. The emissary source said the release was aborted because Galib Andang alias Commander Robot wanted to “pad” ransom for the hostages.

Both the Philippine and Malaysian governments have insisted no ransom has been paid to the bandits.

Military officials, however, said the rebels were paid at least P100 million ($2.25 million) for the release of the nine Malaysians, despite the government’s no-ransom policy.

The money is believed to have come from private business sources.

The same source in Sulu was worried about the growing rift among the eight leaders of the Abu Sayyaf.

“The rebels told me that they are still waiting for something or somebody before they will free the Malaysians,” according to the emissary who was sent by chief negotiator Aventajado to see Robot in his hideout. 

“I gave them until today (July 25) to hear their side,” he said.

Snatched

The rebels were supposed to free seven Malaysian captives last Thursday following the alleged payment of $3-million ransom. 

But only four were released due to the rift between Ghalib Andang alias Commander Robot and Sahiron Radulan, the rebels’ field marshal and chief of staff, respectively.

Intelligence officials revealed that Radulan snatched three of the seven Malaysians at gunpoint from the group of Andang Tuesday night, two days before the four were freed.

Freed late Thursday were Balkrishnan Nair, Vincent Kwong, Francis Bin Masangkim and Lee Hock Leong.

Zamboanga businessman Wee Dee Ping said the sufferings of the remaining three Malaysians could ended yesterday (July 24) as Basilius Jim, Kua Lu Long and Ken Fong Yin were already brought out of the camp by the rebels.

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