Libya agrees to pay full ransom demand
By Charmaine Deogracias and Mirasol Ng-Gadil
LIBYA has
reluctantly agreed to pay the entire multi-million dollar ransom demanded by Abu Sayyaf
guerrillas in a last-ditch effort to win the release of 12 foreign hostages, negotiators
said Tuesday.
Foreign Affairs
Secretary Domingo Siazon Jr. also expressed the government’s willingness to consider
asylum for extremist rebels who have reportedly been offered scholarships in a Libyan
Islamic university.
Even as
negotiators tried to spur the release of the hostages, the United States expressed
willingness to help the Philippines in dealing with the extremist rebels, who are included
in the US State Department’s watch list of international terrorists.
“It (Abu
Sayyaf) is one of a number of organizations around the world that we consider
terrorist-organizations,” said US Embassy spokesman Thomas Skipper. “The US is
committed to helping any way it can to combat these groups, to help other governments
combat these groups.”
Skipper, however,
said the US government would step in only if requested by Manila. Any US action, he added,
would depend on Manila’s request.
Malaysian Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohammad also offered to help Manila to secure the release of the 24
Sulu hostages, including 12 evangelists.
Mahathir, quoted
by the national Bernama news agency, said he did not want others to think that Malaysia
only cared for the freedom of its own citizens.
Mahathir did not
specify how Malaysia would help the Philippines in the hostage crisis, and insisted that
he had “no idea” whether any ransom was paid.
“We’ve
been striving to secure the freedom of hostages taken ill, like the Lebanese, but I have
not been updated on the progress yet,” Mahathir told reporters in Maputo, the capital
of Mozambique, where he is attending a financial conference.
Development
funds
Malacañang,
scotched the possibility of Abu Sayyaf leaders enjoying Libya’s money, saying this
would be poured into development projects.
At a press
briefing, Press Secretary Ricardo Puno explained: “It’s just like when you are
trying to propose development projects to official development assistance source…
It’s not that you are demanding anything. It’s not like in the same nature of
loans, credits or anything like that.”
“Definitely,
the Philippine government is not going to pay $12 million to the Abu Sayyaf,” he
stressed.
An emissary
claimed the release of the nine Sipadan hostages and three French journalists, scheduled
last Saturday, was postponed when Libya tried to lower the ransom per hostage from $1
million to $700,000.
Libya also
initially refused to pay any ransom for the three French journalists, but relented last
week, negotiators added.
The ransom for the
journalists was quickly obtained from a Philippine bank in Manila through a letter of
credit guaranteed by Libya, a source said.
Government chief
negotiator Robert Aventajado has said the package being offered to the rebels is
“non-monetary.”
Aventajado said he
discussed the reasons for the failure of Saturday’s release in several telephone
calls with Abu Sayyaf commander Ghalib “Robot” Andang. Andang remained willing
to free all the hostages in one batch if the problems were settled, he said.
Asylum
While Siazon said
negotiors should consider asylum, he said the issue has not yet figured in negotiations
with the Abu Sayyaf.
Emissaries had
earlier told THE MANILA TIMES that rebels had apparently decided to work out asylum for
some leaders while preparing for a military assault. The same sources claimed
A rebel spokesman
had also told reporters they would release the last hostage “when we are prepared to
take on the military.”
“When you are
negotiating, everything is possible, you do not close the door,” Siazon said when
queried about asylum.
Even if the Abu
Sayyaf members are considered bandits, he added, “in all negotiations, you always
have to look at the exits.”
Earlier, Defense
Secretary Orlando Mercado took the same tack. Aides quoted his reaction to the possibility
of asylum as, “what the heck, let them (Abu Sayyaf leaders) fly.”
The defense chief
also said: “The President’s avowed policy is to ensure the hostages’
safety. If that means letting the kidnapping leaders leave, so be it. We can ask for them
back later. It may take time, it may happen fast. But we’ll get them back for
sure.”
The American offer
was greeted by wariness in the legislature. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel said the Estrada
administration should be cautious about using US resources.
The offer, he
charged, validates earlier reports that the US Central Intelligence Agency had recruited,
trained and funded the Abu Sayyaf as mujahideen against the Russians in Afghanistan.
with reports from Macon Ramos-Araneta and Faber Concepcion
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