May 28, 2002, The Philippine Star, On Hostage Rescue: No Deadline, No Ransom, Says GMA,

May 28, 2002, The Philippine Star, On Hostage Rescue: No Deadline, No Ransom, Says GMA,

Manila,  (STAR) What deadline? What ransom?

President Arroyo said yesterday there is no deadline to the ongoing search and rescue operations for three remaining Abu Sayyaf hostages whose ordeal has entered its second year.

At the same time, the President ruled out any ransom negotiations, and vowed to press the military offensive to quash the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.

"I have never given them a deadline. As I said, for as long as it takes (to rescue the hostages)...this is our policy. We will not pay ransom and we will fight them because they are terrorists," Mrs. Arroyo stressed.

She said the government could use the ransom money to address mass poverty in the countryside "because the fight against terrorism is the twin of the fight against poverty."

In her weekly radio program aired over Radio Mindanao Network (RMN), Mrs. Arroyo said she gave no new orders on the hostage crisis to Maj. Gen. Ernesto Carolina, newly installed commander of the Armed Forces' Southern Command (Southcom).

The President, at the same time, scolded RMN-Zamboanga station manager Rey Bayoging for allowing himself to be used as a mouthpiece by Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya.

"It's a good thing that you were the one asking this because you are one of their suspected cohorts because you are the source of their messages," Mrs. Arroyo told Bayoging.

"My directives are still the same, and this is also the same appeal I make to you and the rest of our countrymen that they should not give glorification and glamour to these terrorists," the President added.

Commenting on the reported ransom negotiations for the release of American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, Mrs. Arroyo indicated it could not be true since the two hostages were still being held by the Abu Sayyaf.

For his part, Carolina appealed to the victims' families to be more patient.

"What I can tell them (is) please trust us. We are doing our best," Carolina told reporters in Zamboanga City.

He added that even the troops were already impatient about their mission and wanted to finish it as soon as possible.

Carolina said at least 43 soldiers have died and about 120 others were wounded in the search and rescue operations.

The Burnhams, members of the New Tribes Mission from Wichita, Kansas were seized by Abu Sayyaf gunmen during a raid on the upscale Dos Palmas resort in Palawan on May 27 last year.

Also captured in that raid were another American, Guillermo Sobero of Corona, California and 17 Filipino guests and workers of the resort.

Sobero was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf on June 12, along with at least a dozen Filipino hostages.

The third remaining hostage, Filipino nurse Deborah Yap, was snatched from a hospital in Lamitan town in Basilan as the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers were fleeing from pursuing government forces.

Reports had it that part of the $1-million ransom went to the wrong hands, while Sabaya absconded with the rest of the money.

DOJ to probe botched ransom payment

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said he would summon National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Reynaldo Wycoco to explain alleged involvement of his agents in the delivery of ransom payment to the Abu Sayyaf.

However, the go-between, identified as Galin Tilaob, was killed reportedly in an ambush and the money did not reach the kidnappers.

News reports, quoting an unnamed NBI official, said the money came from agents of the US Interpol.

"The NBI has permission to secure their (hostages) release, but not to pay ransom," Perez said.

He said Wycoco, who is currently abroad, has not reported any such payment.

Wycoco denied that a group of his operatives delivered $700,000 to the Abu Sayyaf.

Wycoco said the source of the reports was a white paper circulated by a shadowy group which was picked up by reporters.

"I cannot second-guess the motives of this group," Wycoco said.

Wycoco hinted that the camp of Sen. Panfilo Lacson could have leaked the white paper.

"There are no dollars in the possession of, nor given to the NBI. The bureau adheres to the government policy of not negotiating with any kidnap for ransom group, even more so with the Abu Sayyaf. The same policy is adopted by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)," Wycoco said.

The reports, quoting "reliable sources" said Wycoco, his deputy for regional operations Lolito Utitco and a handful of his agents arrived in Zamboanga City on May 9 to facilitate the release of the Burnhams.

They proceeded a few days later to Basilan to meet with Tilaob, an alleged Abu Sayyaf emissary who was accompanied by four escorts.

The NBI team reportedly handed over to Tilaob a knapsack stuffed with dollar bills amounting to $700,000.

The white paper claimed that the remaining $300,000 was split between Wycoco’s group and Tilaob.

However, Tilaob was reportedly killed in an ambush staged by soldiers, and the money was never recovered.

While Wycoco admitted the presence of NBI agents in Zamboanga City at the time, he clarified that they were in Mindanao to verify the existence of al-Qaeda cells in the region.

He added that he and Utitco visited the NBI office in Zamboanga City to check on the safety of his operatives.

A copy of an NBI Special Order No. 1567 dated April 5, 2002 indicated that six agents were dispatched by Wycoco to Zamboanga from March 9 to 23. The specific mission of the team, composed of head agent Ricardo Diaz who is also chief of NBI-Interpol, senior agent Roel Bolivar, special investigators Allan Futalan, Romeo Aradanas Jr., and Eduardo Villa, was not stated.

Diaz denied involvement in the ransom negotiations, but admitted they went to Mindanao on a special mission.

Meanwhile, military spokesman Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta Jr. said the troops were never involved in any ransom negotiations.

"We would like to state that there was no coordination between the NBI and Southcom. We don’t have any knowledge of a ransom deal that has come out in the newspapers," Mabanta told reporters.— Marichu Villanueva, Mike Frialde, Roel Pareño, Paolo Romero, AFP report