November 13, 2002, Phili Star, Philippine Abu Sayyaf rebels demand 16m-peso ransom for seven hostages,

November 13, 2002, Phili Star, Philippine Abu Sayyaf rebels demand 16m-peso ransom for seven hostages,

The Abu Sayyaf Islamist group is demanding a 16m-peso ransom for four Filipino women and three Indonesian sailors they have been holding captive in Sulu, an official said.

Sulu Governor Yusop Jikiri said Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron [name as received], who leads the Sulu faction of the group, also promised to end kidnappings on the island if the ransom is paid.

Jikiri said the demand - which he rejected - was made in a letter he received recently from a courier.

"The group stated that they have the trust and confidence in my administration and that the group is willing to end the spate of kidnappings if the governor would pay the 16m pesos for the release of the captives," Jikiri told a radio interview yesterday.

But he said he told Sahiron he "should release the hostages without any condition or face the military consequences".

The Abu Sayyaf intercepted a Singapore-registered tugboat towing a barge delivering coal from Indonesia to Cebu in the waters off Sulu in June and seized four Indonesian crewmen. One crewman, however, managed to escape...

Jikiri said he rejected the ransom demand because he doubted the Abu Sayyaf would keep their word.

"The kidnapping will not stop if the government will give in to the demand of these bandits," he said. "That is why this cannot be tolerated anymore. I will not even give these bandits an inch to destroy the future of the province of Sulu and its constituents."

The military launched an operation to rescue the hostages but has, so far, failed to pinpoint their location..