Squabbles stall hostage release in Philippines<\/p>\n
JOLO, Philippines (Reuters): Rebels freed on Thursday a
\nFilipino boy held captive for about two months in the southern
\nPhilippines but squabbling among government emissaries threatened
\nto derail other promised releases.<\/p>\n
Sources close to the government negotiating team said efforts
\nto secure the freedom of seven Malaysians among dozens of mostly
\nforeign hostages were also being hampered by disputes among the
\nrebels over sharing of a huge ransom.<\/p>\n
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar
\ndenied Kuala Lumpur had paid ransom to free the Malaysians.
\nManila and other governments whose nationals are involved have
\nalso publicly insisted no ransom will be paid.<\/p>\n
The Malaysians were among 21 people abducted by the Abu Sayyaf
\nrebels from a Malaysian diving resort on April 23 and brought to
\nthe Philippines' southern Jolo island, 960 km south of Manila.<\/p>\n
Two Malaysians and a German woman in the group have been
\nreleased.<\/p>\n
Philippine negotiators had expected the remaining Malaysians
\nto be freed on Wednesday but said last-minute snags had
\ndeveloped.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, as it became clear the Malaysians would likely
\nnot be freed, chief government negotiator Roberto Aventajado for
\nthe first time admitted to differences among members of his own
\nnegotiating team.<\/p>\n
The problem, as Aventajado spelt it out, lay between him and
\nlocal businessman Lee Peng Wee whom he had designated as a
\ncoordinator of the negotiations.<\/p>\n
Interviewed on Manila's ANC News Channel, Aventajado said that
\ndespite agreement between him and rebel chief Galib Andang on who
\nto use as emissaries, Lee was insisting on using other
\nintermediaries.<\/p>\n
"That's what I don't like about what's happening," Aventajado
\nsaid. "Instead of helping solve this problem, the use of other
\nintermediaries could worsen the situation."<\/p>\n
Sources close to the negotiations said the rebels themselves
\nwere quarreling over how to divide the ransom money which had
\nbeen sent to them packed in five cardboard boxes.<\/p>\n
As a result, the Malaysian hostages had now been split into
\ntwo groups, they said.<\/p>\n
Andang was apparently holding three of the Malaysians while
\nanother group commanded by other rebel chiefs was holding the
\nfour others, they said.<\/p>\n
The only bright note in a day of intrigues and confusing
\nreports of the fate of the Malaysian hostages was the rebels'
\ndecision to release 17-year-old Filipino Richard Sintos, whom
\nthey had kidnapped on nearby Basilan island in May.<\/p>\n
Police earlier identified the boy as Richard Quintos but
\ncorrected his name later.<\/p>\n
Sintos, whose father was a soldier killed in an encounter with
\nthe Abu Sayyaf before he was kidnapped, told reporters he feared
\nthe rebels would also kill him "but I begged for mercy."<\/p>\n
As dusk fell, an army colonel told journalists gathered at a
\nmilitary base on Jolo to go back to their hotels, saying he
\nexpected no other releases to take place.<\/p>\n
The rebels are also holding 19 other captives, including a
\nGerman reporter and three French television journalists seized
\nearlier this month while covering the hostage drama, and 13
\nFilipino evangelists who went to the rebel bastion to pray for
\nthe hostages.<\/p>\n
Two Filipina school teachers abducted on Basilan in March are
\nalso still in captivity.<\/p>\n
The group of 21 seized in Malaysia comprised nine Malaysians,
\nthree Germans, two South Africans, two Finns, two French
\nnationals, two Filipinos and a Lebanese.<\/p>\n
Police sources and Manila newspapers said the rebels were paid
\n20 million pesos ($450,000) for the release of a Malaysian
\npoliceman and 40 million pesos ($890,000) for the freedom of
\nGerman woman Renate Wallert.<\/p>\n
Intelligence sources earlier said the Abu Sayyaf had demanded
\n$3 million for the release of the rest of the Malaysians but a
\nsenior officer said his information was they wanted 12.5 million
\npesos ($288,000) for each.<\/p>",
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