10 August 2000 - Manila Bulletin

By ARIS R. ILAGAN

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has deployed additional military intelligence operatives in several areas of Mindanao following reports that the Abu Sayyaf has intensified its recruitment operations, offering P100,000 cash for each new member.

Meanwhile, government negotiators expressed optimism that eight more hostages, including three Malaysian nationals and two Lebanese, will be released by the Abu Sayyaf members by next week, following negotiations in the Abu Sayyaf hideout in Patikul, Sulu.

The Abu Sayyaf is currently holding hostage 32 persons, including evangelist Wilde Almeda and his followers.

Intelligence reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, said several Abu Sayyaf members were engaged in recruitment operations, offering P100,000 plus a highpowered firearm to each recruit.

Military sources said that the Abu Sayyaf members were moving around markets and other public places of Sulu, Basilan, and Zamboanga for their recruitment operations.

There were qlso Intelligence sources claimed that Abu Sayaff leaders have doubled their security personnel in view of reports that some of their members were planning to take their leaders as hostages because of the huge amount of money in their possession.

Government authorities has estimated that the Abu Sayaff has accumulated some P245 million in the kidnap-for-ransom activities during the recent months.

Meanwhile, Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan said that based on his monitoring operations, the 31 hostages now under the custody of the Abu Sayaff are still in good health condition.

Tan assured that the medical and food supplies being provided by multi-sectoral agencies and foreign embassies were delivered to the hostages, including those abducted from Sipadan in Malaysia last April.

The Sulu governor echoed Secretary Robert Aventajado's declaration that they are expecting the release of more hostages within the next two weeks based on feedbacks from government negotiators and emissaries from the Abu Sayaff group.

Ransom

JOLO, Sulu (AFP) - Muslim extremists holding more than a dozen hostages in the southern Philippines are demanding $25 million ransom for their release, according to government intelligence sources yesterday.

The five leaders of the Muslim extremist Abu Sayyaf agreed to the ransom although it is not clear whether they expect the whole amount to be paid at once or in stages.

The group is now discussing how the money will be delivered to them, the sources said.

The proposed $25 million ransom will cover two Germans, two French, two South Africans, two Finns, two Filipinos, three Malaysians, and a Franco-Lebanese woman seized from a Malaysian resort and taken across the sea border to Jolo island on April 23.

It will also cover three French television reporters who were seized by the Abu Sayyaf when they went to their hideout on July 9 to interview the hostages.

In addition, the ransom will cover 12 Filipino evangelists of the Jesus Miracle Crusade who have been in the Abu Sayyaf jungle hideout for more than a month, the sources said.

Thirteen evangelists went to the Abu Sayyaf camp on July 1 supposedly to pray over the other hostages. The Abu Sayyaf later said the 13 were hostages but on July 27, one of the evangelists emerged from the Abu Sayyaf camp to say his fellows were there on their own free will.

Top government negotiator Roberto Aventajado also said the evangelists will not be considered hostages as the Abu Sayyaf had told him they were in their hideout to pray for hostages.

However, three Christian Filipino laborers, seized by an Abu Sayyaf faction last week, are not covered by the $25 million ransom demand, the sources said.

On Monday, Philippine military chief Gen. Angelo Reyes confirmed reports that P245 million ($5.5 million) had been paid to the Abu Sayyaf in exchange for six Malaysians, five Filipinos, and a German woman earlier freed despite Manila's policy against ransom payments.

The agreement on a total ransom for almost all hostages came as an aide of Libyan mediator Rajab Azzarouq arrived in Jolo island secretly on Tuesday.

It has been reported that Lebanon has said it accepted an offer from Libya to pay $25 million for all the hostages, with priority given to Franco-Lebanese captive Marie Moarbes.

Killed

JOLO, Sulu (AFP) - Tension gripped the southern Philippine island of Jolo yesterday where Muslim kidnappers are holding at least 17 hostages after government troops shot and killed an ex-rebel who had been integrated into the military.

Police said an army private identified only as Apari was gunned down by military guards while trying to force his way into a grocery in downtown Jolo, local police chief Supt. Mohamad Noor Alamea said.

Alamea said the military guards were asking for Apari's identification card following a heated argument when the latter drew his M-16 rifle, forcing the guards to shoot him.

"The security details did not believe he was an army member despite his being in full military uniform. He failed to show his ID and there was an altercation before he was shot," Alamea said.

Provincial police chief Supt. Candido Casimiro said he dispatched additional police to the town center to prevent possible retaliation by Apari's relatives.

Military officials immediately took custody of the two suspects, who were rushed by a heavily guarded military convoy to an army brigade here, police said.

MILF raid

COTABATO CITY (AFP) - Muslim separatist guerrillas raided a village in the southern Philippines and briefly held several Christian villagers as human shields against government troops, a military spokesman said here yesterday.

Maj. Julieto Ando said about 50 members of the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) stormed the village of Takol in Davao del Sur province the other day, ransacking homes for food and rations.

When government troops arrived later, the rebels hastily fled but seized an undetermined number of villagers to be used as human shields, Ando said.

The guerrillas early yesterday freed the hostages unharmed and split into two groups to avoid pursuing soldiers, he added.

The hostages were freed near the southern city of Davao, shortly after President Estrada arrived there as part of an eight-day tour of the southern and central regions of the Philippines.

Ando said the MILF guerrillas were increasingly resorting to raids on villages to steal food, valuables, and firearms following the capture of their main base by the military last month.

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