27 August 2000 - AFP

JOLO, Philippines, Aug 27 (AFP) - Muslim extremists in the southern Philippines Sunday freed three French citizens, a South African and a German from among their 29 hostages, with the remaining seven Western captives expected to be released within a week.

All four remaining women hostages and one German man were freed in emotional scenes on Jolo island where they had been held captive for 127 days by Abu Sayyaf guerrillas fighting for an Islamic state.

French citizens Sonia Wendling, Maryse Burgot and Marie Moarbes, and South African Monique Strydom joined German Werner Wallert in their bus ride to freedom.

But their joy at their release was coloured by fears for the safety of those left behind.

Another seven Western hostages -- three Frenchmen, two Finns, a German and a South African -- stayed behind along with 17 Filipinos to provide what the Abu Sayyaf described as "insurance" against any military attack.

Some of the freed hostages were overcome by emotion as they were released from the gunmen's jungle hideout.

Schoolteacher Wallert, 57, left behind his son Marc, 27, while Strydom left her husband Callie, Wendling her boyfriend Stephane Loisy and Burgot, a television reporter, two France-2 colleagues.

The government emissary, known as "Dragon," who fetched the five said he had to pull Wallert away from his son. Father had locked his arms around his son and was refusing to let go.

Television footage also showed Monique Strydom, 36, kissing and embracing her husband as an unidentified man barked orders to "pack up."

The freed hostages, sobbing and hugging each other, were delivered by bus to a Jolo army outpost -- not before having to push their bus out of the mud when it became stuck half way -- before they flew out of the island in helicopters to nearby Zamboanga city.

A military plane then took them to the central city of Cebu where they would stay for a night. On Monday they are to take a 14-hour flight to Libya, which stands to reap the goodwill of a grateful Europe for helping Manila convince the gunmen to let their citizens go.

Libyan ambassador to Manila Salem Adam denied any ransom had been paid.

"No ransom was paid at all, but a promise of livelihood projects," was delivered, he said, rejecting further speculation that Tripoli had granted asylum to the Abu Sayyaf's leaders.

Sources close to the negotiations said Libya offered 12 million dollars in ransom in addition to a 25-million-dollar development aid programme for rural Muslim areas in the southern Philippines.

Philippine government negotiator Roberto Aventajado said his emissaries would return to the Abu Sayyaf base early on Monday to fetch Callie Strydom, 36, so he could join his wife on the flight to Libya scheduled for 4 p.m. (0800 GMT).

The gunmen agreed to free the remaining Westerners in two weeks but Aventajado said he should be able to make this happen "within one week."

"There is global agreement reached for the release of all the hostages within a particular timeframe," he said.

Speaking to reporters, Wallert, from northern Germany, said: "You don't expect me to be happy. My son is still there."

Wallert's ailing wife, Renate Wallert, was freed on humanitarian grounds last month.

Strydom, 36, said: "I'm very happy to be freed, but I'm worried about my husband."

Mechanical engineer Wendling, 34, who looked pale and haggard after leaving boyfriend Stephane Loisy behind, said: "I don't know how to describe the experience. I will never forget it as long as I am alive."

Burgot, snatched in Jolo last month while covering the hostage crisis, said she was "sorry my two colleagues were not able to come with us," but added: "I think everything is going to be fine for the rest of the hostages."

Moarbes said the freed hostages felt "relieved" but stressed: "We are not happy because there are people left behind. So it's not finished yet for us."

The five former hostages were among a group of 10 tourists and 11 staff abducted from the nearby Malaysian resort of Sipadan on April 23.

Nine other Malaysians and a Filipina, as well as Renate Wallert -- plus a German journalist and two Filipino reporters kidnapped later -- have been freed for ransoms estimated at 5.5 million dollars.

President Joseph Estrada's spokesman Ricardo Puno hailed the releases, saying they vindicated Manila's policy against "doing any kind of violent action."

The governments of France, Germany and South Africa welcomed the releases, reserving particular praise for the Libyan go-betweens.

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