| HOSTAGE CRISIS
PUSHING TOWARDS CASH SOLUTION JOLO (Philippines) -- As an international hostage crisis enters into its
third month, the Philippine government said yesterday that it expects to wear down the
Muslim extremist kidnappers into settling for a straight cash-for-captives swop.
President Joseph Estrada's
chief aide, Mr Ronaldo Zamora, said that although there is currently no such discussion
regarding the ransom, the Muslim rebels' demands might no longer be political as they
would also demand ransom.
The Abu Sayyaf has formally
tabled political demands, most of them deemed by the government as
""impossible'' -- including the establishment of an Islamic nation in the
southern Philippines.
Some of the guerilla leaders
have told government emissaries informally that they would free the hostages for US$21
million (S$36.5 million), emissaries said.
Executive Secretary Zamora said
in a radio interview yesterday that as soon as the rebels formally table a demand for
ransom, government negotiators would persuade them to convert the ransom into development
projects for Jolo island.
Manila has failed to make any
headway in its efforts to convince the guerilla group to free their Filipino, Finnish,
French, German, Lebanese, Malaysian and South African hostages.
Foreign Affairs Secretary
Domingo Siazon said yesterday that Manila is against ransom as ""it would
prolong the negotiations''.
However, Manila would not stand
in the way if foreign governments were to ""strike their own deals'' and offer
cash to the rebels to redeem their citizens.
The hostages were taken from
the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan on April 23 and shipped to the southern Philippine
island of Jolo.
The Abu Sayyaf styles itself as
independence fighters, but the police consider them ordinary bandits and pirates. --AFP
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