RP military okays more hostage talks

Thu, 12 Nov 1998, 00:00 WIB | Source: DPA

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (DPA): The military temporarily
scrapped plans to launch an assault to free five foreigners being
held hostage by kidnappers in the southern Philippines, opting
for negotiations instead, an official said on Wednesday.

Sulu Governor Munib Estino said the government extended the
deadline for talks in the hopes of freeing the hostages without
ransoms after relatives of the kidnappers begged local officials
to "solve the cases peacefully".

"They (the kidnappers' relatives) are now convincing the
kidnappers to free the hostages, or else we will use our final
option," Estino said, referring to an armed rescue attempt
initially scheduled for midnight on Tuesday.

Three ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong and Malaysia and an 80-
year-old Taiwanese woman and three members of her household are
being held in the Sulu hinterlands since they were seized
separately in early September.

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