Talks underway to win release of Indonesian seamen<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Manila<\/p>\n
Talks are underway to win the freedom of three Indonesian seamen
\nabducted last week in Philippine waters by unknown gunmen, the
\nmilitary said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
"The identities of the kidnappers are now known to us. Their
\nrelatives are the ones negotiating with them," southern
\nPhilippines military chief Lt.Gen. Ernesto Carolina said over
\nlocal radio.<\/p>\n
The military commander of Jolo island, Col. Romeo Tolentino,
\nsaid the kidnappers were a 20-member bandit group led by a man
\ncalled Malud Mahili. The group was holding the three near Luuk
\ntown on Jolo, he said.<\/p>\n
The gunmen boarded a tugboat hauling a coal-laden barge near
\nthe Abu Sayyaf stronghold of Basilan island on June 17 and seized
\nthe vessel's four Indonesian officers.<\/p>\n
The second officer, Ferdinan Joel, escaped and turned up on
\nJolo, another Abu Sayyaf stronghold, two days later.<\/p>\n
The gunmen are still holding the boat's skipper Muntu Jacobus
\nWinowatan, chief officer Julkifli and chief engineer Pieter
\nLerrech.<\/p>\n
Tolentino said Mahili's group were "small time opportunists
\nwho wanted to have a share of whatever money they could get from
\nthe kidnapping."<\/p>\n
The authorities have previously said they suspected the
\nkidnappers were Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas, and they have not
\nissued a ransom demand for the three, who are Muslims.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a military mole in the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla
\norganization survived a firefight last week and emerged on
\nTuesday to collect a five million peso (US$100,000) Philippine
\ngovernment reward for the presumed death of rebel leader Abu
\nSabaya.<\/p>\n
Gardo Ibrahim "was instrumental in giving timely information"
\nthat helped commandos intercept a motor boat carrying Abu Sabaya
\nand his rebel unit off the southern island of Mindanao last week,
\nmilitary chief of staff Gen.Roy Cimatu said.<\/p>\n
President Gloria Arroyo praised the help of the civilian
\npopulation that helped the military track down Sabaya, held
\nresponsible for a series of kidnappings and the deaths of two
\nU.S. hostages.<\/p>\n
"This only goes to show that when the local populace supports
\nthe government, we are able to move forward," Arroyo said in a
\nspeech at Malacanang presidential palace, where officials say the
\nmilitary's spy received a check for five million pesos.<\/p>\n
Abu Sabaya, along with two others, were believed to have
\nsustained fatal wounds before falling into shark-infested waters
\nnear the town of Sibuco on Friday. Four others were captured in
\nthe operation.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim "was with the group in the boat. He is a witness to
\nhow Sabaya was shot and killed," Cimatu said, as he accompanied
\nIbrahim to see Arroyo.<\/p>\n
"Madam president, there were actually nine people in the boat.
\nTwo were our informers and one of them is with us now," Cimatu
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He did not identify the other informer, or say what had
\nhappened to this second person.<\/p>\n
The U.S. government had offered up to US$ 5 million in rewards
\nfor information leading to the arrest of the four and of Abu
\nSabaya, the preferred alias of the rebel leader born as Aldam
\nTilao.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/talks-underway-to-win-release-of-indonesian-seamen-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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