| Almeda is a hostage, past ransoms were paid -- Malacañang
MALACAÑANG,
(ABS-CBN) - After more than a month of denial, Malacañang finally admitted on Friday that
Jesus Miracle Crusade (JMC) evangelist Wilde Almeda and his group are "now officially
hostages" of the Abu Sayyaf.
In a press briefing, press undersecretary Mike Toledo quoting
government chief negotiator Robert Aventajado, said that Almeda and his group are now
among 13 other hostages of the bandit group.
Toledo, however, did not say if the government has started
negotiating for the release of Almeda and 11 other preachers.
A thirteenth JMC member, Danilo Cuarteros, was earlier freed
conditionally by the Abu Sayyaf to come up with a P130-million ransom, the Associated
Press reported last August 3.
It is not known whether the JMC members will be among the 13
hostages whose release is anticipated this Saturday, after days of delay.
Three of the 13 are French journalists, while the rest were
seized from the Sipadan Island resort in Malaysia last April 23, together with eight
others.
Both the government and the JMC had earlier denied that Almeda
and his preachers were hostaged, explaining that they had gone to the bandits' lair of
their own free will last July 1.
Ransoms admitted
Meanwhile, chief hostage crisis negotiator Robert Aventajado
practically admitted that ransoms were instrumental in all past hostage releases.
In a DZMM interview on Friday, Aventajado was asked to swear
before God that there was no ransom in negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf.
Unable to make a categorical statement, Aventajado replied:
"God knows how difficult my job is. But I believe that God also knows I only want the
best solution for this crisis."
Zamora likewise admitted that the continued
"bargaining" between the government and the Abu Sayyaf has been causing the
series of delays in the release of the hostages.
He, nevertheless, maintained that the Philippine government
was still firm on its no-ransom policy, adding that other intermediaries are the ones
offering ransom payments to the rebels.
"Other intermediaries, in effect, are violating our
policies which we cannot totally control. That's why what's happening now is very simple,
they are still on the bargaining process," Zamora said.
He added: "Even the intermediaries are apprehensive
because we have already told them that the money they are giving to this group are being
used to buy arms."
Back to Sipadan Hostages News
Back
to This Week's Borneo News |
