| No ransom, says US Embassy
wants hostage freed immediately
By Charmaine Deogracias, Faber Concepcion,
Herbie Gomez,
Joel San Juan, Mirasol Ng-Gadil and Manny Marinay
THE United
States yesterday demanded the unconditional release of Jeffrey Craig Edward Schilling and
said it would not pay ransom or negotiate any deal with his Abu Sayyaf kidnappers, as the
Philippine government said it would create a new negotiating panel for the latest
abduction.
The US State
Department also warned Americans again from traveling to the southern and western areas of
Mindanao, citing possible Abu Sayyaf atrocities against American nationals, “to
include but not limited to kidnappings and shootings.”
The latest Abu
Sayyaf outrage also prompted Malacañang officials to warn of a tougher stance towards
rebels who have reportedly already collected P245 million in ransom for earlier
abductions.
“We cannot go
on like this,” said Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora. “Otherwise we will be
doing exactly what those against ransom have been saying right from the beginning. We are
just setting ourselves up for more problems in the future.”
Vice President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Manuel Villar said
they would not oppose a military solution to the problem.
“It’s
time to rethink the government policy in the face of the intransigence of the Abu Sayyaf,
Drilon said. “It is time to put an end to the mockery of the law.”
Drilon said the
Philippine government should “reclaim its authority and demonstrate that it is
capable of defending its citizens and foreign guests.”
The United States
Embassy in Manila released statements from Philip Reeker, spokesman of the US State
Department.
“The United
States strongly condemns this latest kidnapping and we call for the immediate, safe and
unconditional release of this hostage and the other hostages still held captive on the
island of Jolo,” Reeker said.
A separate embassy
statement said American officials are “working very closely and intensely with the
appropriate authorities in the Philippines to gather more information.”
“We want to
make it very clear that the US government does not make deals with terrorists. We will not
pay ransom, change policies, release prisoners, or make any concessions that reward
hostage-taking,” the statement stressed. “Doing so only encourages additional
terrorism and therefore endangers innocent people.”
Reeker also noted
the Abu Sayyaf’s inclusion in the US global terrorism list, and described it as
“a radical Islamic separatist group.”
Threats
Sabaya told
reporters Tuesday rebels would behead Schilling, if the US does not grant its new demands,
which include the release of World Trade Center bombing suspects Ramsey Yousef, Egyptian
cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, and Abou Haider.
The Abu Sayyaf
abducted Schilling last Monday in Zamboanga and brought him to Sulu.
Rebels renewed
threats yesterday to kill Schilling, if the US does not negotiate.
“Maybe we
will behead him,” a rebel spokesman told dxRZ radio
“We are fully
prepared to talk,” he added. “The door to negotiations is open for the release
of this American...but we hope the results will be good and that (Philippine President
Joseph Estrada) will not try to intimidate us.”
Sabaya demanded
that representatives of North Korea, China, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Libya take part in the
talks.
If the Philippine
and US governments do not respond, the spokesman added, “Then next week we will get
another hostage and do the same thing to him. The Americans may think we are afraid of
them but we are really determined to get an American.”
Schilling is being
held by the same hard-line Abu Sayyaf faction that kidnapped about 50 schoolchildren and
teachers in March on neighboring Basilan island. The group beheaded two teachers after the
United States ignored their demand for the release of several Arab terrorists held in US
jails.
Sabaya also
confirmed comrades in other parts of Mindanao were holding other hostages but declined to
discuss details, saying they wanted negotiations to proceed “one by one.”
There were earlier
reports that rebels had abducted six Taiwanese fishing crew and five Chinese, although
other sources close to the Abu Sayyaf insist the latter are actually Japanese.
Rebels claim
Schilling is an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
US Consul General
John Caulfield called the allegation “ridiculous.”
“This
individual is a completely innocent person who has been unjustifiably seized,” he
said. “We want to see his immediate release and we look to the Philippine government
to do everything possible to secure that.”
Security
measures
The Armed Forces,
meanwhile, stepped up security measures to protect US citizens and other foreigners living
in Mindanao, increasing military checkpoints and intensifying security measures.
“We are very
concerned about the security of foreigners living in the island,” said acting
Southcom spokesman Col. Eliseo Posadas.
The Bureau of
Immigration also issued a hold order on Schilling.
Immigration
Commissioner Rufus Rodriguez said the order was requested by US legal attaché James
Nixon.
He quoted the
American officer as saying the US government wants to “ensure that any effort by the
American to exit the Philippines through an Immigration point is detected.”
A hold order would
prevent Schilling’s abductors from spiriting him abroad through any of the country’s
six international airports and 41 major seaports, Rodriguez noted.
As officials
scrambled to make heads or tails of the Schilling case, the government chief hostage
negotiator said the new abduction would not derail efforts to release final talks on the
release of an earlier batch of captives held in Patikul, Sulu.
New negotiator
Robert Aventajado,
however, said Malacañang would have to choose a new negotiator for the latest crisis.
While he said a
direct order from President Estrada could force him to stay on and negotiate for Schilling’s
release, Aventajado admitted the serious toll exacted by the 130-day hostage crisis, which
started April 23 with the abduction of 21 tourist and resort staff from Sipadan island,
Malaysia.
Aventajado has
confirmed Schilling, a 24-year-old African-American, is being held at the camp of Radulan
Sahiron who, among the squabbling Abu Sayyaf leaders, is considered an ally of group
spokesman Abu Sabaya.
“I’m
tired. Gusto ko munang magpahinga pero kailangan na magligtas pa ako ng buhay,”
Aventajado said over national radio. (I want to rest but there are still lives to save.)
He stressed, however, that he would remain to oversee the release of six remaining foreign
hostages and 12 Filipino evangelists.
Press Secretary
Ricardo Puno told reporters the Philippines would still lead efforts to free Schilling and
hinted at the creation of a new panel.
But, he added,
“at the moment it is not yet clear how the negotiating team is going to be put
together.
Different
motives
In calling for a
new negotiator, Aventajado said the government should approach the Schilling abduction,
masterminded by Sabaya, differently from that of the Sipadan hostages.
He also said
Ghalib Andang alias Commander Robot, the mastermind of the Sipadan kidnapping, has kept
mum on the Schilling case.
Aventajado hinted
that the Schilling incident could have stemmed from disagreements among Abu Sayyaf
leaders.
Robot, he noted,
has promised a halt to abductions.
The rebels,
however, are known for backing out of pledges and had recently warned of taking “replacement
hostages” to prevent a military attack on their jungle lairs.
The US was
noncommittal about seeking the help of Libya, which has been instrumental in the release
of six Western captives.
Reeker said
Washington supported efforts by negotiators to end hostage-taking in the Philippines.
“We support
efforts by negotiators... for a quick resolution to this case,” he said, but stressed
the United States would not pay ransom money.
Libyan ambassador
to the Philippines Salem Adam was also cool to the proposal.
“We are still
negotiating for the remaining six hostages; let them (Americans) ask first,” the
envoy said.
Local officials in
the Philippines say millions of dollars in ransom were paid to secure the release of the
six Western hostages this week. Tripoli has strongly denied the report.
In June, US
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called Libya a “state of concern” because
Washington is worried about its support for terrorist activities.
--with Maricel Cruz, John Concepcion and Macon Ramos-Araneta, Reuters and AP
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