August 24, 2000, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sayyaf frees worker but grabs 2 'brides',

August 24, 2000, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sayyaf frees worker but grabs 2 'brides',

JOLO, Sulu-One step forward, two steps backward. The Abu Sayyaf released a Filipino construction worker yesterday but grabbed a schoolgirl and a schoolteacher in separate abductions, apparently as brides for its members.

Local military intelligence sources in Jolo confirmed that the family of the schoolgirl had received a dowry payment from an Abu Sayyaf member to compensate them for the abduction of their daughter. The freed hostage, construction worker Reynante de la Cruz, 20, showed up at his employer's shop here yesterday morning after negotiator Farouk Hussein spent the night in the jungle hideout of the gunmen.

It was unclear if Hussein's visit had any bearing on the hostage's release. "He is back," local builder Hajirul Mandangan told Agence France Presse of his employee. Mandangan insisted no ransom was paid, and that the release was secured with the help of community "elders" in Jolo. He suggested the ex- hostage's having a Muslim mother might have helped. De la Cruz and two co-workers were abducted from a Jolo quarry on Aug. 1 by the Abu Sayyaf, who were holding more than three dozen hostages at one point.

Wives for Abu

Suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen yesterday snatched Marissa Adjad, a Muslim teacher, at the Sulu School of Arts and Trade in Talipao, Southcom spokesman Col. Hilario Atendido said. She was reportedly brought to a nearby barangay. A few hours later, also in Talipao, other suspected Abu Sayyaf kidnappers seized Harta Sahali, a high school junior at the same school, as she returned home from community prayers.

Talipao is the area where the gunmen are holding 12 foreign and at least 14 Filipino hostages. The military said the two women were believed to have been abducted to force them to marry members of the kidnapping group. Earlier this month, Abu Sayyaf commander Galib Andang also seized a Muslim social worker from Talipao and forced her to marry him. He had reportedly already acquired two other wives the same way. Such forced marriages are popular among the Abu Sayyaf.

Blast in cinema

Also yesterday, a grenade exploded inside a cinema here, but no one was injured in the blast, police said. Muslim extremists were believed to have hurled the grenade at the movie screen because a sex-oriented local film was being shown, they said. However, the police would not say if those involved were linked to the Abu Sayyaf, who have been blamed for grenade explosions in public places around Jolo town in recent months. Carlito Pablo, Noralyn Mustafa and Jonathan F. Ma, PDI Mindanao Bureau; AFP