New snags hit Philippine hostage release

New snags hit Philippine hostage release

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AP): Several new problems, including a shortage of ransom money, may prevent the release Friday of all six Europeans still being held hostage by extremist rebels in the southern Philippines, an official said on Thursday.

The Abu Sayyaf rebels had pledged to release all six on Friday. But Libyan officials who arrived this week brought only enough money to pay for the release of four of the hostages, or about $4 million, an official close to the negotiating team said.

Libya has played a prominent role in negotiations for a group of 21 people kidnapped April 23 from Sipadan diving resort under control of Malaysia. Last week it paid $6 million for the release of six other Westerners from the group, negotiators said. Libya insists the money will go for development projects, not directly to the rebels.

But it has resisted paying for two of the remaining hostages, both French television journalists seized while covering the hostage crisis, saying their company should foot the bill.

Other developments could also interfere with the planned release, the official said.

Rebel leader Ghalib "Robot" Andang had a severe quarrel with one of his four wives Thursday, and the brother of another rebel leader, Mujib Susukan, was killed Wednesday in a motorcycle accident, he said.

The negotiators had expected a telephone call from Andang on Thursday confirming Friday's release, but as of early evening no call had come, he said.

The rebels are still holding two Finns, a French and a German from Sipadan and the two French journalists in a camp on Jolo island in the southern Philippines. A separate rebel faction is holding an American man kidnapped early last week.

The prolonged hostage crisis has focused international attention on the Muslim separatist rebellion in the Philippines' impoverished southern region of Mindanao. It has also embarrassed the government and frightened tourists and investors away from Mindanao, which already faces a separatist insurrection waged by a larger Muslim group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Negotiators said they would still travel Friday to Jolo in hopes the European hostages would be released.

Ambassadors from the hostages' countries were scheduled to fly Friday morning to the southern port city of Zamboanga to receive the captives from Philippine and Libyan negotiators.

Government efforts to free the European hostages resumed this week after the return Tuesday of Libyan envoy Rajab Azzarouq.

Chief government negotiator Robert Aventajado said government emissaries also are working to win the release of 12 Filipino Christian evangelists who were captured by the Abu Sayyaf in early July and a Filipino hostage from Sipadan who was separated from the Europeans and taken to the camp of another rebel faction.

The rebels have not announced their demands for Schilling's release, although rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya has privately demanded $10 million, negotiators said.

Schilling, 24, from Oakland, California, was seized Aug. 28 when he visited an Abu Sayyaf camp with his Filipino Muslim wife, Ivi Osani.

News reports have said the rebels abducted Schilling, who converted to Islam in 1994, during an argument over religious and political issues.

A government emissary who visited the camp said Schilling has ended a hunger strike but is under heavy guard. "He's not undergoing rough treatment. He's OK," said presidential Press Secretary Ricardo Puno.

Sulu Vice Governor Munib Estino, appointed by the government to negotiate for Schilling, expressed confidence he could free him in a few days and denied news reports that Schilling was being held in a pig pen-like cage.

Philippine officials have questioned whether the case is a simple kidnapping since Osani is Sabaya's second cousin and the widow of a rebel killed by government forces several years ago.