Report: Rebels Ready To Surrender
By AARON FAVILA, Associated Press Writer
JOLO, Philippines (AP) -
Members of a Muslim rebel group holding five hostages, including an American, are seeking
to surrender after evading troops for three weeks, Philippine military officials said
Friday.
Some 5,000 military troops
swept onto southern Jolo island on Sept 16 but have been unable to find the American,
three Malaysians and a Filipino held by the Abu Sayyaf rebels.
A sizable group of rebels led
by guerrilla spokesman Abu Sabaya have sent surrender feelers, Gen. Manuel Teodosio said.
The group is believed to be
holding American Jeffrey Schilling, but some reports indicate he has already been taken to
another island.
Earlier this week, soldiers
broadened the search to the neighboring provinces of Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, believing some
of the rebels may have escaped. The massive operation on Jolo has forced more then 88,000
civilians from their homes.
A member of the government's
disbanded negotiating team said they are still in regular contact with the main rebel
leader, Ghalib ``Robot'' Andang, through go-betweens in case he wants to surrender.
Andang remains on Jolo, though
his satellite phone is no longer working, said the team member, speaking on condition he
not be identified. The negotiating team was disbanded when the invasion was launched.
On Monday, troops recovered 12
Filipino Christian evangelists held hostage by the rebels after one escaped and informed
the military of the location of the others.
Schilling telephoned the U.S.
Embassy on Sept. 25 and said he had been taken by speedboat to an undisclosed island,
Philippine officials said. He said his captors were demanding $10 million for his release.
On Friday, police prevented a
band of Abu Sayyaf members from leaving Jolo and seized their high-powered speedboat,
officials said. The rebels fled into the jungle after a clash with police, police
Superintendent Candido Casimiro said.
A separate team of negotiators
who earlier freed nine Malaysian hostages is attempting to re-establish contacts with the
rebels to gain the release of the three remaining Malaysians, officials said.
The Abu Sayyaf began a wave of
kidnappings in March that has badly embarrassed the government and tarnished the
Philippines' reputation among tourists and investors. Most of their hostages were released
after payment of more than $15 million in ransom by Libya and Malaysia, negotiators say.
Also on Friday, a
representative of another Muslim rebel group fighting for self-rule in the southern
Philippines said the group is open to autonomy as an alternative to independence.
Al Haj Murad, vice chairman for
military affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said the government must drop
preconditions for resuming talks, remove bounties on MILF leaders and respect previous
agreements, including a 1997 cease-fire accord.
President Joseph Estrada has
said repeatedly that allowing the rebels to form an independent Islamic state would
violate the Philippine constitution.
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