Jolo rebels amass fortune in Sipadan abductions

The Abu Sayyaf have received $6.8 million from paid ransoms and they may be planning to take even more hostages, a Philippine legislator says

JOLO -- The Abu Sayyaf group has amassed 173 million pesos (S$6.8 million) in ransom from the released kidnap victims, legislator Addulgani Salapuddin said on Wednesday.

""They were able to buy a speedboat that can accommodate more or less 30 people and 27 of the armed men left Sulu some days ago for an unknown destination,'' he said, implying they were looking for more potential hostages.

He said the Abu Sayyaf may have decided to free all the hostages it is now holding and wants to grab another set to deter any attempt by the military to go after them.

The remark came yesterday as congressmen said that they are considering approval of the 100.7 billion pesos fund that Malacaang wants allotted for the strife-torn island.

Meanwhile, Muslim extremist kidnappers offered yesterday to release three Malaysians and two Filipinos in a package deal, sources close to the negotiations said.

But Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang also warned that the five will only be freed as a group, and that if the Philippine government rejects his offer ""then we could give them two Malaysian hostages and we will hold the other Malaysians captive''.

He added: ""So if they want to resolve this problem early they should take the two Filipinos along with the three Malaysian hostages.''

The unusual demand was contained in a letter conveyed by government emissaries who have been visiting the kidnappers who also hold 12 westerners.

The five Asians, along with two French, a Franco-Lebanese, two Germans, two Finns and two South Africans are now in their 103rd day of captivity.

They were seized from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan on April 23 and brought to Jolo by boat, along with six Malaysians and a German who have since been freed.

The Abu Sayyaf also holds 12 Filipino preachers and three French journalists who were taken captive while covering the Jolo crisis.

The gunmen have also freed a German reporter and two Filipino journalists.

Sources say the gunmen want ransoms of 15 million pesos for each of the remaining Malaysians and 15,000 pesos each for the Filipinos.

They said the Abu Sayyaf were already paid about US$6 million (S$10.3 million) for the freed Sipadan hostages, though no government has admitted to paying the Abu Sayyaf.

The Filipinos released last weekend were reportedly redeemed for cash and guns. Their employer denied it.

Sources added that the Abu Sayyaf this week paid a number of hired gunmen who either took part in the Sipadan abductions or helped guard the captives.

The raiders received 100,000 pesos each, while guards were paid 40,000 pesos.

The ransom payments are driving up the black market price of guns in Jolo as the Abu Sayyaf prepares for a government crackdown. --The Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network

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