RP military okays more hostage talks

RP military okays more hostage talks

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.