October 4, 2000, ABS-CBN, Freed preacher tags Aventajado on ransom kickbacks,

October 4, 2000, ABS-CBN, Freed preacher tags Aventajado on ransom kickbacks,

QUEZON CITY, (ABS-CBN) - One of the freed Filipino preachers from the Jesus Miracle Crusade (JMC) group has tagged chief government negotiator Robert Aventajado for allegedly taking kickbacks from ransom payments made to kidnappers to secure the release of foreign hostages weeks ago.

This Wednesday, freed evangelist Alvin Flores said kidnappers of the Sipadan hostages confirmed the negotiator allocated part of the ransom payments for himself.

In an interview over DZMM radio, Flores said the leader of the hostage-takers, Abu Sayyaf commander Galib Andang, charged Aventajado for having a larger share in the ransom payments intended for the extremist group in Sulu island.

"Ang sabi ni Kumander Robot (Andang) mas malaki raw yung sa kanila. Mas malaki yung tinatanggap ng lumalakad kaysa sa tinatanggap ni Kumander Robot [Commander Robot (Andang) said the negotiators had a larger share. That the share of the mediators was higher than that of Commander Robot]," he said.

Prior to the preacher's revelation, negotiators led by Aventajado who were trying to secure the release of the hostages kidnapped from Malaysia last April 23, have been denying that any ransom was being paid.

Since then, all except one hostage, Roland Ulah have been released by the Abu Sayyaf group. 

However, upon the release of the hostages from Germany, France, South Africa, Finland, and Lebanon, and resort workers from the Philippines and Malaysia, the group again kidnapped three Malaysians and an American on separate occasions.

They also prevented 13 preachers from the JMC group from leaving their lair in Talipao town after they visited the hostages last July 12.

Since the start of the hostage crisis in Sulu, military sources have estimated ransom payments made to the Abu Sayyaf to amount to P245 million. The money has reportedly been used by the bandit group to buy more arms and recruit more members in Jolo province.

Aventajado denies charges

Meanwhile, in an interview over the ABS-CBN News Channel, Aventajado laughed off the charges made by Commander Robot. He said the extremist leader probably had an axe to grind since the military launched an assault against them last September 16.

"I don't know if the public will believe the words of a bandit versus that of a Cabinet Secretary who has not been involved in any case of graft and corruption," he said.

Aventajado explained Robot thinks he was double-crossed after the remaining hostages were not released and the assault in Jolo began.

For every one million

Meanwhile, Flores said Robot told him that for every one million pesos that the extremist group would seek as ransom, Aventajado would add P4 million.

"Oo hihingin sa Libyan P5 million. Tapos sa kanila (Abu Sayyaf) isang milyon, kung halimbawa hihingin ni Kumander Robot isang million tapos itong lumalakad hihingin sa kukunan ng pero limang milyon," he said.

[Yes, they would ask P5 million from the Libyans. After this one million would be for the Abu Sayyaf, if for example Commander Robot would ask for one million then the mediator will seek out P5 million]

Consequently, Aventajado is facing a probe on the alleged kickbacks he made from the ransom payments after some congressmen renewed their threat Wednesday to invite the negotiator for questioning.

The Libyan government, which has sent negotiators together with Aventajado to secure the release of the hostages has repeatedly called its ransom payments as "development aid."