EVANGELIST'S BEHEADING BY ABU SAYYAF FEARED
SULU, (ABS-CBN) - The Muslim
extremist Abu Sayyaf group has reportedly beheaded one of 13 Christian evangelists led by
Jesus Miracle Crusade (JMC) leader Wilde Almeda.
The religious group ventured to the rebel lair last Saturday
after paying the extremist group $3,000 and 35 sacks of rice to gain access to and pray
over 20 mostly foreign hostages kidnapped from a Malaysian island resort last April 23.
Talipao mayor Tambrin Tulawie said he received reports of the
beheading from people in the area who are "loyal " to him
He, however, said they still have to verify the accuracy of
the reports.
"There are reports. We are trying to confirm that one of
the 13 evangelists who went to the rebel camp was beheaded for still unknown
reasons," Tulawie said .
His statement came a day after a faction of the Abu Sayyaf
leadership reportedly tried to seize the 13 evangelists and "liquidate" them.
It was reported earlier that Abu Sayyaf kidnappers figured in
a near shootout among themselves, as one faction tried to seize and liquidate Almeda and
his 12 followers.
One faction of the Abu Sayyaf reportedly demanded a P7-million
ransom for the release of Almeda's group, while the other faction wanted to kill them.
A German journalist, Andreas Lorenz of Der Spiegel magazine,
was also captured by the bandits last week but no demand was given for his release.
Messianic complex ?
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said
Almeda and his 12 followers were ill-advised to go to the Abu Sayyaf den in the Talipao
hinterlands in Jolo island.
"I am not going to belittle the work of Almeda's group.
But the type of evangelical missionary action of Almeda puts a wedge between the Muslims
and Christians," CBCP president Archbishop Orlando Quevedo said in a press briefing.
He had warned the JMC to be "very careful " in
handling their evangelical missions. The prelate said he could only sympathize with
Almeda's group.
Senator Robert Barbers also criticized Almeda for being
"stubborn.'
"He has so much faith in the Lord that he believed he can
convince them, well and good . . . if he fails , sorry na lang," Barbers said.
He called on the people to pray for the safety of Almeda and his followers.
Almeda, who claimed he could stop the war in Iraq in the early
1980's, may have had the best of intentions when he ignored warnings against going to the
Abu Sayyaf lair.
Special powers
JMC member Robert Chua said he was not worried about the
safety of Almeda's group , saying "God will protect them".
Chua claimed that Almeda has "special powers that will
protect him from bullets".
"We believe that he has powers and he will not be hit by
bullets even if he is shot." Chua added.
Speaking in Jolo where he awaits the return of Almeda's group
from the Abu Sayyaf lair in the hinterlands of Talipao town, Chua said their strong faith
in God will save them from danger.
"We will continue our peace mission . . . despite all
obstacles," Chua stressed.
In an appeal to the Abu Sayyaf, aired over a government-run
radio station, Chua asked the extremist guerillas to "stay calm and pray with
Almeda".
The military confirmed that the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers wanted
P7 million in "exit fee" for Almeda's group.
However, Chua said they have not yet received any ransom
demand.
News of the kidnapping was bolstered by Chua's own admission
that Almeda had told him they would be in the Abu Sayyaf camp for only three days.
Fighting over money
Abu Sayyaf leader Ghalib Andang alias Commander Robot denied they were holding
Almeda's group hostage.
He said that the preachers were staying in their camp of their
free will for a 40-day fast.
A Filipino journalist who visited the Abu Sayyaf camp in the
village of Tiis Kutung told colleagues the other day that he took photographs of Almeda
and his 12 followers with their hands tied behind their backs.
The condition of the 20 initial hostages, consisting of eight
Malaysians, three Germans, two South Africans, two French nationals, two Finns, two
Filipinos, and one Lebanese, remains unknown. Government negotiators have not seen them
for more than a month now.
The Abu Sayyaf bandits have
made political demands and asked for $1 million for each of the 20 hostages.
A highly placed source said Lorenz was being held in the
jungle village of Kan Baddal in Patikul town, Sulu, by a nephew of Abu Sayyaf leader
Radulan Sahiron.
The source said Lorenz may be permitted by his captors to
visit the 10 Caucasian hostages who were being held separately from the 10 Asians.
Andang reportedly prevented a plan by Sahiron's faction to
execute the 13 Christian preachers.
Sahiron allegedly resented he was not given a share of the
$3,000 paid by Almeda.
Tulawie said he received reports that the Abu Sayyaf leaders
were quarreling over alleged ransom money paid to them for the release of Malaysian
hostage Zulkurnain bin Hashim last month.
A quarrel among the Abu Sayyaf leaders on Tuesday almost
resulted in a gun battle, intelligence sources claimed.
No ransom demand has been given for Lorenz's release.
Separate talks
As this developed, police asked local officials to launch
separate talks with the Abu Sayyaf to release the evangelists and the foreign journalist.
"We have tapped local officials in working for the speedy
release of the victims through peaceful, localized negotiations," provincial police
chief Candido Casimiro said Thursday.
This, as government negotiator and former Libyan ambassador to
the Philippines Abdul Rajab Azzarouq stressed he was not negotiating for the release of
the preachers or the German journalist.
"We know the general location of the Christian preachers
and the German reported, but it's tactical information we cannot divulge at this
time," Casimiro said.
He said police presence in the Jolo capital has been increased
to secure a group of local and foreign journalists covering the crisis.
"We briefed the reporters about the situation here and we
dissuaded them from going to the rebel camp," he said.
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