Abu Sayyaf gained P245-M from
kidnappingMALACAÑANG,
(ABS-CBN) - Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Angelo Reyes
hesitates to call a spade a spade.
However, he admitted during Monday's cabinet meeting that Abu Sayyaf
kidnappers have been able to obtain some P245 million in "board and lodging"
fees paid by foreign countries for the release of eight hostages including six Malaysians
and two Germans.
It was the first time under the Estrada administration that Palace
officials opened a cabinet meeting to members of the media.
The eight hostages released include female German hostage Renate Wallert,
German journalist Andreas Lorenz of Der Spiegel magazine, and six Malaysians.
Reyes said the virtual ransom payments were handed over in backdoor
negotiations and that the money is now being used to acquire rebel firearms and
ammunition.
Other government officials, including chief hostage crisis negotiator
Secretary Robert Aventajado downplayed Reyes' admission during the cabinet meeting,
stressing that the Philippine government has stood by its no-ransom policy.
Reyes also denied that the government facilitated the release of the German
journalist, although he admitted that Lorenz's office in Germany claimed to have paid a
ransom to the kidnappers.
"They paid some money to secure the release of Andreas Lorenz, but as
I have mentioned during a briefing . . . the government did not have anything to do with
that," he stressed.
Aventajado, who is also the presidential adviser on flagship projects,
failed to explain the case of Wallert and the six Malaysians when President Estrada cut
him off.
Mr. Estrada immediately ordered them not to discuss further the reported
ransom payments to the Abu Sayyaf, saying it was not part of the agenda.
"Excuse
me, I think . . . it (ransom payment) is not in our agenda. Talk about it privately,"
the President told his officials.
Press secretary Ricardo Puno, for his part, supported Aventajado's claim
that the government has had nothing to do with supposed payments to the Abu Sayyaf.
"We don't think anything about the Abu Sayyaf's supposedly receiving
ransom money. The chief negotiator as we heard is still maintaining his policy of no
ransom and he will continue to talk to them on that basis," Puno said.
However, Puno also said that the government cannot control the flow of
money if there are groups willing to pay ransoms to the kidnappers.
"As we said this is an international activity and there are other
people from other countries involved here. If people don't respect that (no-ransom) policy
and they continue to do that then you know there is only limited amount of control that
you can maintain in this situation," he explained.
The press secretary also admitted that the Abu Sayyaf has acquired more
firearms and ammunition but stressed that the AFP is now in addressing the situation.
Puno said the government is still confident that hostage release
negotiations would resume, and that the remaining 30 hostages, including 13 Filipino
evangelists led by Wilde Almeda will be released soon.
Among the other hostages are five French nationals including three
journalists, three Malaysians, two Germans, two Finnish nationals, a South African couple,
two Filipinos, and one Lebanese.
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