RP hostage crisis enters 4th month, no end in sight

RP hostage crisis enters 4th month, no end in sight

By Mynardo Macaraig

JOLO, Philippines (AFP): The Philippine hostage crisis entered
its fourth month Monday, with Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels still
holding several dozen hostages in their jungle lair on the
southern island of Jolo.

Informed sources said they did not see any immediate
resolution to the crisis, which together with a Muslim separatist
campaign in the larger island of Mindanao in the southern
Philippines, has eroded investor confidence and raised security
concerns.

"Even if they release the hostages, it is going to be on a
one-by-one basis, or in very small batches," said a source
closely monitoring the movements of the gunmen. "Now they know
that as long as they have the hostages, they will not be
touched."

Security sources said the Abu Sayyaf had reportedly
accumulated enough ransom money -- estimated to be about US$4
million following the release of l0 of the 41 hostages so far --
for an arms and food stock to keep them going for a long period.

They could now also negotiate from a position of strength, the
sources said.

Emissaries who visited the Abu Sayyaf hideout last week saw
ample food supplies, even though a humanitarian corridor set up
more than a month ago was shut to pressure the rebels to
negotiate for the release of the captives.

At the weekend sources close to the arms markets on Jolo
island said the gunmen were driving up the prices of weapons with
the ransom paid to redeem six Malaysian, a German and three
Filipino hostages.

The price of M-16 rifles, standard issue for the Philippine
military, has nearly doubled to 45 thousand pesos ($1,011) in
Jolo, from 28 thousand pesos before the crisis.

The Abu Sayyaf rebels were to have released all seven
Malaysian hostages in one go last week, but changed their minds
and freed only four after learning that the parent of one of the
remaining three -- a pilot -- was so anxious for his son's
release that he had flown a plane to Jolo to wait.

The ransom for the remaining three Malaysians has now
reportedly been raised.

The rebels are asking for an additional 15 to 20 million pesos
($340,900-$454,500) for each of the trio, the sources said, on
top of an alleged $3 million payment for the release of all the
Malaysian hostages.

Speculation was rife at the weekend that the three Malaysians
would be freed Monday but emissaries reported no major progress
so far.

The 31 hostages still in the hands of the rebels comprise 15
Filipinos, five French nationals, three Germans, three
Malaysians, two Finns, two South Africans and a Lebanese.

The hostage crisis began with the capture of 21 people, mostly
foreigners, from the Sipadan resort off Malaysia's Sabah state on
Easter Sunday on April 23. The gunmen later took captive a group
of Filipino Christian preachers who went to pray for the hostages
as well as journalists from France and Germany covering the
drama.

Security sources said that with no Western journalists in Jolo
at present, the Abu Sayyaf could even target local media
personnel as potential prey.

They said several ethnic Chinese businessmen in Tawi-Tawi
island in the southernmost tip of the Philippines were also on
the gunmen's target list and police had alerted them to take
extra precautions.