| Muslim rebels to release six hostages today Philippine
negotiator is hopeful after the authorities free two rebels whose freedom was demanded by
the Abu Sayyaf as a pre-condition
ZAMBOANGA -- Muslim rebels have
agreed to free at least six of their 12 foreign hostages today following the release of
two guerillas who were arrested carrying bundles of cash thought to be part of a previous
multimillion dollar ransom payment, officials said.
""We're very
hopeful,'' negotiator Farouk Hussein said yesterday.
Abu Sayyaf rebel commander
Ghalib ""Robot'' Andang had demanded that the two men be freed before proceeding
with the release, negotiators said.
Local newspapers have reported
Abu Sayyaf's threats to behead at least two hostages if their men were not released.
The rebels also threatened to
withhold the release of all hostages.
Hours later, the two were freed
on bail despite being charged with being accessories to kidnapping.
According to a member of the
negotiating team, once Andang confirmed the release of his men in a telephone call
yesterday to chief negotiator Robert Aventajado, he agreed to release today the four
remaining female hostages -- three French and a South African -- plus German Werner
Wallert and a Finnish man, he said.
The hostages are being held by
the rebels in a jungle on remote Jolo island, 940 km south of Manila.
After being released, they are
to be flown by helicopter to Zamboanga, a nearby port city where they are to be presented
to their ambassadors. They will then fly to Tripoli on a Libyan jet, where they are to
meet Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Negotiators were trying to
convince the rebels to release two other people as well, said the member.
The two arrested men, Jeffrey
Lau Jinnul and Adjid Halik, were detained on Thursday while trying to convert US$240,000
(S$413,000) into Philippine pesos at a Zamboanga bank.
Police said they had been
pressured by high government officials to release the men, who were freed yesterday on
120,000 pesos (S$4,680) bail each, according to court officials. The court retained the
US$240,000 as evidence.
The men admitted they had
received the money from the rebels, police said.
The military estimates the
rebels have been paid more than US$ 5.5 million for the earlier releases of nine
Malaysians and a German.
The Abu Sayyaf guerillas are
holding three French, two Germans, two Finns and two South Africans kidnapped on April 23
from Malaysia's Sipadan diving resort, and three French television journalists seized last
month when they visited the rebels' hide-out.
They also hold 12
Filipino Christian evangelists who went to their camp to pray for the hostages.--AP
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