| ABU SAYYAF
PREYING ON FOREIGNERS IN TAWI-TAWI, PALAWAN ZAMBOANGA CITY (ABS-CBN) - Chief government negotiator Robert
Aventajado said Monday he urged Abu Sayyaf leader Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot, to
stop further planned kidnappings of foreigners in nearby islands in the South.
Aventajado made the statement amid reports that members of the
extremist Abu Sayyaf Group have been making rounds in Tawi-Tawi and Palawan in search of
potential foreign hostages.
Latest reports said 17 armed men believed to be from the Abu
Sayyaf, fled their jungle hide-out in Talipao, Sulu on board a speed boat and are believed
to be heading for Tawi-Tawi and Palawan to prey on foreign tourists.
"Nag-usap kami ni Kumander Robot. Sabi ko
pinaka-maganda siguro higpitan niyo rin yung pamamalakad ng mga tao ninyo dahilan sa
nag-uusap tayo dito sa original na Sipadan hostages may ganyan na nangyayari," Aventajado
said.
[I spoke with Commander Robot. I told him that the best thing
to do is for him to strictly control his men because I told him that it is not good that
the incidence of kidnapping continues to grow while negotiations for the Sipadan hostages
are on-going.]
Aventajado warned the government might adopt a hard-line
stance against the Muslim rebels if the bandits continue their kidnapping activities.
"Kako hindi maganda yan dahil bumibigat din ang
pressure din sa amin na nakikipag-usap sa inyo dahilan sa kung nadadagdagan ng ganyan ay
baka magbago rin ang policy ng pamahalaan. Kaya sabi ko kung puwede habang nauusap tayo
tigilan muna yung pagdadagdag ng ganyan," he added.
[I told him the pressure on our part continue to mount as the
number of hostages continue to increase. If that is the case, then the government might
change its policy. That's why I appealed to him to stop such activities while negotiations
for the release of the original hostages are on-going.]
Ransom payment denied
Meanwhile, Aventajado denied reports that P6 million was paid
to the Abu Sayyaf for the freedom of ABS-CBN cameraman Val Cuenca and researcher Maan
Macapagal.
Aventajado stressed both journalists were freed through
negotiations with Commander Radulan Sahiron, an Abu Sayyaf leader who controls the place
where Cuenca and Macapagal were held hostage.
Aventajado said the abduction of Cuenca and Macapagal was
merely a case of misunderstanding.
"Nagtampo lang si Kumander Arafat dahil everytime na
pumupunta si Val and Maan sa Abu Sayyaf lair, madadaan ito sa kampo ni Kumander Arafat ng
walang pakikiusap at pagtimbre," he said.
[Kumander Arafat was only upset since everytime Val and Maan
would go to the Abu Sayyaf lair, they would pass by the camp of Kumander Arafat without
any advise nor notice]
So far, the Abu Sayyaf is still holding 17 hostages, composed
mostly of Europeans, South Africans and Malaysians.
Also, foreign journalists in Jolo town have been already
advised to pull out of the area and cover the hostage crisis from nearby Zamboanga City.
The decision to pull out the last 10 reporters, photographers,
and television crew members employed by foreign news agencies came after police officials
warned of increasing lawlessness and of kidnapping threats against some of the
journalists.
The foreign news agencies that have been covering the Sulu hostage crisis include the
Associated Press (AP), AP-TV news, Agence France-Presse,Reuters, Der Spiegel, Deutsche
Press, Nippon Television Network, Asahi Shimbun, SAT-1 German TV, Pro-7 German TV,
Deutsche Welle, Radio France, RT Luxembourg, among others.
Back to Sipadan Hostages News
Back
to This Week's Borneo News |
