| ABU SAYYAF
BANDITS REJECT NEW GOVERNMENT EMISSARY MUSLIM terrorists holding about
30 hostages in Jolo, Sulu have rejected a new government emissary, forcing another delay
in the planned release of three Malaysians, the chief negotiator said yesterday.
Meanwhile, the
Philippines’ biggest television network, ABS-CBN, prepared to pull all of its staff
out of Jolo, the island where the hostages are being held, following the kidnapping of two
of its employees.
The Abu Sayyaf
rebel leader holding most of the hostages, Ghalib “Robot” Andang, confirmed that
at least one of the two ABS-CBN journalists is being held at a rebel camp, chief
negotiator Robert Aventajado said.
The rebels have
demanded P10 million ($225,000) for their release, according to a government emissary who
visited the camp Tuesday.
Aventajado said
Andang called him up at dawn Wednesday “basically telling me the emissary sent by my
coordinator in Zamboanga is no longer acceptable to him.” Aventajado said he will
switch to an earlier go-between, an uncle of Andang’s code-named “Dragon.”
Dragon was able to
win the release last week of Renate Wallert, an ailing German woman.
Malacañang
insiders told reporters the development may be linked to the conflict between Aventajado
and Zamboanga tycoon Le Peng We, who has been instrumental in releasing six Malaysian
hostages.
Press
Undersecretary Mike Toledo said there was no reason given for Robot’s demand.
No military
rescue
Executive
Secretary Ronaldo Zamora reiterated yesterday President Estrada’s rejection of any
military rescue operation.
Speaking at Camp
Crame, Zamora said Mr. Estrada wants all hostages released safely.
The President’s
top aide said Malacañang will stick with the position, despite earlier entreaties by
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Panfilo Lacson for a commando operation.
Zamora, however,
said Cabinet Cluster E will continue to study “all options,” including the
proposal of three senators’ to spring the hostages.
The Abu Sayyaf so
far have freed six Malaysians and one German from an original group of 21 mostly foreign
hostages seized April 23 from Malaysia’s Sipadan island, a diving resort.
About P190 million
($ 4.2 million) in ransom has been paid to the rebels for the release of Wallert and nine
Malaysians, despite the government’s no-ransom policy, Philippine military officials
said.
Retired Maj. Gen.
Guillermo Ruiz, security adviser to the negotiating panel, said he expects the remaining
three Malaysians will be released Thursday.
They were to have
been freed last week, but a dispute among the rebels over the division of the ransom money
apparently blocked their release, negotiators said.
Their release
would leave seven Europeans, two South Africans and two Filipinos still in captivity from
the Sipadan group.
Other hostages
The Abu Sayyaf
rebels also are holding several other groups of hostages, including foreign journalists
covering the hostage crisis.
Three French TV
journalists are still being held after being seized July 9 when they visited a rebel camp
to interview the hostages. An Abu Sayyaf splinter group is believed to be holding a German
reporter for Der Spiegel magazine.
--Joel San Juan, Mirasol Ng-Gadil, Marian Trinidad, and Faber Concepcion, with AP
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