| All options open in
hostage crisis- Malacañang MALACAÑANG, (ABS-CBN) - President Estrada is keeping all options
open in the prolonged hostage crisis in the Philippines but wants to see whether further
negotiations bear fruit, Malacañang officials announced on Wednesday.
Estrada cut short a visit to the United States and returned to
Manila early Wednesday to convene a top level security meeting on the crisis.
"All options are open. No options are closed," Press
Secretary Ricardo Puno said. He did not confirm if the government has softened its stance
of a possible military option against the Abu Sayyaf.
The Abu Sayyaf shot to prominence in the international scene
after kidnapping 21 mostly foreign hostages from a Malaysian resort in Sipadan Island last
April 23.
The group then abducted three more Malaysian nationals last
Sunday after releasing all but one of their original 21 captives. The kidnap victims were
identified as Mohamad Noor Sulaiman, the resort's manager; Joseph Jongkinoh, a divemaster;
and Ah Kai, a contractor.
The Muslim separatist group is now holding nearly two dozen
American, French, Malaysian and Filipino hostages in Jolo.
Earlier, Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado hinted that the
government has softened its stance of a military option against the Abu Sayyaf extremists
but added it has not totally closed its doors for a joint Malaysia-RP rescue operation in
Jolo.
"We've been bending backwards for so long and we're
beginning to look like contortionists and people might think that as we bend backwards we
don't have a spine," he said.
The President cut short by a day his working visit to the US
to personally take charge of urgent matters affecting the country. Arriving with the
President were National Police chief Director General Panfilo Lacson, Armed Forces Chief
of staff Angelo Reyes and Mercado.
Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora claimed the President
decided to come home early especially since the plane ride from Honolulu would keep him
out of communications range for 10 to 11 hours.
He said Cabinet Cluster E has decided to somewhat defer its
earlier position because government is also awaiting "trigger points" which will
drive the government to take harsh action against the group undoubtedly. He refused to
identify these trigger points, though.
Vice President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, for her part, still believes that the problem with the Abu Sayyaf should
be settled peacefully and not with any brutality. Nevertheless, she says she would always
support the decision of the Cluster E, whether it is for military action or not.
"We must have a more integrated approach including for
instance entering into an agreement for multinational quarantine of the Sulu sea because
the Philippine Navy cannot possibly secure the whole area," she said.
Malaysia-RP to strengthen border patrols
Meanwhile, Malaysian police revealed they will be coordinating
with their Philippine counterparts to strengthen the two countries' border patrols.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Mohamed Jamil Johari
said the cooperation would be more between the Malaysian and the Philippine navies.
"We will propose more frequent contact and exchange of
information concerning criminal activities, especially between Sabah and the southern
Philippines," he said.
Mohamed Jamil said that of the 49 islands on the west coast of
Sabah, only 12 were inhabited.
"These (islands) have become sanctuary for the armed men
or people with ill intent," he added.
Meanwhile, chief negotiator Robert Aventajado has called for
enhanced maritime border patrols between Malaysia and the Philippines to prevent the
recurrence of kidnapping incidents in the countries' borders.
"We have to work even closer - the Philippine and the
Malaysian authorities - in preventing this thing from happening again and again...like
improving our border patrols," he said.
Field reports submitted to Malacañang said the kidnappers,
led by a certain Landasan Omar, attacked the Pandanan Semporna Island Resort at 7pm on
Sunday and raided the area.
The four-man group then took hostage resort manager Mohamed
Noh Sulaiman of Penang, divemaster Joseph Onkinoh of Kota Kinabalu and contractor Kan Wei
Chong and left for Mabahay in Talipao, Sulu where they were turned over to one Commander
Piping.
Commander Piping on the other hand, turned the three hostages
to Commander Agga Noman who has been identified by intelligence sources as the first
cousin of the Abu Sayyaf's Mujib Susukan.
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