KL officials scrap meeting with Philippine negotiator

KL officials scrap meeting with Philippine negotiator

JOLO, Philippines (AFP): Top Malaysian officials canceled a meeting with chief Philippines negotiator Roberto Aventajado on Sunday, further delaying the release of three of their nationals among 17 hostages held by Muslim gunmen here.

Aventajado was in nearby Zamboanga city to meet former Sabah minister Yong Teck Lee and Malaysian deputy education minister Datu Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, but was told they could not attend the meeting.

It was moved back to Tuesday which meant the three Malaysians, held by the Abu Sayyaf group in Jolo island, would not be freed until then, Aventajado told reporters before leaving for Manila. "The release of the Malaysians has been delayed because of their (the officials) absence. Nothing will happen until Tuesday," Aventajado said.

He said he had relayed his "disappointment through a private channel" to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and urged him to "talk to these officials to get their acts together".

Aventajado was to have discussed with Lee and Shamsuddin the possibility of setting up mango, orange and coffee plantations in the Abu Sayyaf stronghold of Talipao town in exchange for the release of the Malaysians and two Filipinos.

These plantations are to be included under a "livelihood package" for the rebels, although sources have said the rebels were asking 15 million pesos ($340,900) for each of the Malaysians.

Aventajado earlier said if an agreement was reached between him and the Malaysian officials, the five hostages could walk free as early as Monday.

Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang, also known as Commander Robot, said his group would release more hostages, but warned that a military rescue would backfire.

"If they launch an operation against us, we may be forced to burn the town of Jolo or Zamboanga city," he stressed to reporters in a taped message.

He also boasted the Abu Sayyaf had raised enough cash and firearms to counter the military, a tacit confirmation that they had received huge ransoms in exchange for hostages freed earlier. "If they do that, we will revenge. We have funds. If they give us problems and a headache, we will give the same to them, even bigger."

The three Malaysians and two Filipinos were among 21 Asian and European hostages abducted by Abu Sayyaf gunmen from a Malaysian resort in April and brought across the border by boat to Jolo.

The group later seized journalists covering the hostage crisis.

Six Malaysians and an ailing German woman from among the original group were released, as well as three Filipinos abducted in March from nearby Basilan island.

A German reporter and two Filipino broadcast journalists, taken hostage while covering the crisis, were also freed, but a crew of three French television reporters is still being held.

The Abu Sayyaf now hold five French nationals, a Franco- Lebanese woman, two Finns, two South Africans, two Germans, three Malaysians and two Filipinos.

An armed gang allied with the Abu Sayyaf also abducted three Filipino construction workers last week.

Aventajado said he would meet European ambassadors in Manila on Monday, to inquire about programs reportedly being planned by their governments for the rebels.

He said he told Commander Robot to discuss the fate of the European hostages alongside the Asians.

The rebel chief was willing to "release the Europeans ahead of the Malaysians" if their governments agreed on a livelihood project similar to that offered by the Malaysians, Aventajado said without elaborating.