RP kidnappers raise ransom demand: Sources

RP kidnappers raise ransom demand: Sources

JOLO, Philippines (Agencies): Moro extremist kidnappers on Tuesday raised their ransom demand for a group of Malaysians among 38 hostages they are holding in the southern Philippines, a day after releasing an ailing German woman captive, sources said.

The expected release of the seven remaining Malaysian hostages was reportedly put off on Tuesday due to the new demand by the Abu Sayyaf gunmen, the sources close to the negotiations said.

The gunmen freed ailing 56-year-old German hostage Renate Wallert on Monday, raising hopes that the other captives would also be released.

Relatives of the Malaysian captives flew in here from nearby Sabah state on Tuesday amid expectations that their kin would be the next to be freed. But they left empty handed aboard their chartered turboprop for nearby southern Philippine city of Zamboanga.

"There will be no developments tonight," said one source close to the negotiations, who asked not to be named.

The sources said the Malaysians, seized by the Abu Sayyaf with two Filipinos and 10 foreign tourists from an island resort near Malaysia on April 23, were to have been freed with Wallert on Monday night.

But it was called off at the last minute with the gunmen seeking an additional 70 million pesos (US$1.6 million).

Meanwhile, the Philippines' chief negotiator who won Wallert's release from the rebel captivity said on Tuesday talks were under way for the speedy release of other women still held by the guerrillas.

Presidential adviser Roberto Aventajado insisted no ransom was paid for Wallert's release but said he had agreed to consider a request to help the rebels start an orange plantation in their camp on southern Jolo island.

Aventajado told reporters rebel chief Galib Andang had told an emissary that the guerrillas, having freed Wallert, now wanted to talk about the other women captives out of a group of 21 mostly foreign hostages seized from the island resort.

They include Frenchwoman Sonia Wendling, South African Monique Strydom, the Lebanese Marie Moarbes and a Filipino woman, Lucrecia Dablo, Aventajado said.

"Pretty soon," he said when asked when the next release of hostages would take place.

In recent weeks, the Abu Sayyaf has abducted 17 other people, including a German reporter, a three-member French television crew and 13 Filipino evangelists.

Three Filipinos have been held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf since March, bringing to 38 the total number of still in captivity.

The Abu Sayyaf is one of two groups fighting for an Islamic state in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines. Manila has rejected the Abu Sayyaf's call for an independent Muslim homeland but Aventajado said a request by Andang for help in starting an orange plantation was "do-able."

"Commander Robot has land he wants to develop and I told him ...we can look at it. He said it's about 100 hectares (250 acres)," Aventajado said.

Despite official denials, a senior police intelligence official said about 40 million pesos ($890,000) was paid for Wallert's freedom.

The source, asking not to be identified, said the money was deposited in a Philippine bank account under the name of an in- law of Andang.