Filipino Muslim gunmen strike ransom pact for
kidnapped Malaysians
JOLO, Philippines, Sept 14
(AFP) - A group of Abu Sayyaf rebels who abducted three Malaysians and brought them to the
southern Philippines have handed the captives to another faction of the Muslim group in a
bid to share prospective ransom money, sources said Thursday.
The trio, seized from a
Malaysian resort off Borneo on Sunday by an Abu Sayyaf commander, Eping Ahga, were handed
over to a faction led by Mujib Susukan and Galib Andang, state intelligence sources said.
Susukan and Andang have been
negotiating with government negotiators for months over the scores of hostages they have
held since the first abduction on April 23 from another Malaysian resort.
Many of the captives were freed
over time but the rebels continued seizing more hostages.
They are currently discussing
with the authorities the fate of two French journalists and 12 Filipino Christian
evangelists held on Jolo island since July.
Under an agreement, Ahga's
group and the Andang-Susukan faction will share any ransom they can get for the three
Malaysians, Mohamed Noor Sulaiman, 43, Joseph Ongkinoh, 40 and Kan Wei Chong, 35, said the
intelligence sources, who have been monitoring the rebels' activities.
Some news reports in Manila
said Thursday the three Malaysians had been auctioned off to the Andang-Susukan group,
which made the highest bid among the Muslim gunmen in Jolo.
However sources involved in the
negotiations said that Andang told the government panel that the three Malaysians were not
in his hands although they were in the Jolo town of Talipao which his group controls.
Andang also assured the panel
that the abduction of the three Malaysians would not affect an arrangement to free the two
French journalists soon, possibly within a week.
President Joseph Estrada's
chief aide, Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora, quoted chief negotiator Roberto Aventajado
as saying that he expected favourable developments by Friday or Saturday.
Andang had earlier promised
government negotiators he would not be seizing any more hostages while they were talking
about releasing the captives already held.
Another Abu Sayyaf faction is
also holding American tourist Jeffrey Schilling who entered the kidnappers' camp on August
28. According to the rebels, Schilling is ill and needs medicine.
The Philippine government,
enraged by the new abduction of the Malaysians, said it was considering all options,
including a possible military attack, to resolve the four-month old hostage crisis.
However the government said it
is still waiting to see if negotiations will bear fruit for some hostages before
considering a military assault.
In Manila, Defense Secretary
Orlando Mercado said "we know that there will be much bloodshed," if troops
assaulted the Abu Sayyaf but "once they give the go-signal, the soldiers are
ready."
He said troop morale was high
even though it would be a difficult operation to flush out the Abu Sayyaf who are
estimated to number about 4,000 and who can take advantage of thick jungles and
mountainous terrain in Jolo.
Meanwhile, Abu Sabaya,
spokesman of the Abu Sayyaf group, said Thursday that the guerrillas would attack
Zamboanga City and Jolo town if the government ordered a rescue of the captives.
"We will attack, just in
case there is a military operation," he said in an interview with RMN radio station
in Zamboanga City.
He said Muslims should leave
Zamboanga City and Jolo town so that "they will not be massacred."
Government intelligence reports
say Abu Sayyaf members are moving about freely in the Jolo town centre.
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