June 2, 2001, Daily Tribune, Arroyo Negotiates with Sayyaf Rebels,

June 2, 2001, Daily Tribune, Arroyo Negotiates with Sayyaf Rebels,

Manila, June 2, 2001 - Malacañang has admitted sending a secret operative to Basilan island to negotiate the release of 20 hostages including three Americans kidnapped for ransom by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) last May 27 from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan.

The Arroyo emissary had apparently established contact with the kidnappers, as presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao also disclosed that the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas have already indicated they would consider swapping their captives for cash.

"In broad terms, they sent a message that, as we always have known, this has always been for ransom money," the presidential spokesman said.

Tiglao said the amount was not specified. He reiterated the government would not be held to ransom.

But a Tribune source who once served in the past as a government intermediary in a similar hostage situations with Moslem bandits said this was the usual style employed by previous governments in negotiating the release of the bandits.

"Ransom will be paid, as demanded by the bandits and the hostages will be released for pickup by the military at an agreed place. The bandits will not admit that the government paid them off and the government won't say anything either," he said. "The government will let the rebels escape. That's the way things are done," he said, adding that "that's exactly what intermediaries are for," the source, who requested anonymity, said.

In an apparent reversal of the Arroyo administration's declared policy of transparency in government, Tiglao declined to identify the "emissary" or "intermediary" but insisted that the person is not a known public figure but is acceptable to the Sayyaf group.

"It (emissary's identity) cannot be disclosed. The only purpose of this intermediary is to open a line of contact, a line of communication. His only role would be to talk to the Abu Sayyaf if they would be willing to lay down their arms or release the hostages," Tiglao said yesterday.

"This government could not and would not give in to their demand for a stop in the military operations nor can we give to their demands for ransom payment," he said.

The source said government is not expected to admit that it is willing to pay ransom for the release of the hostages, specially if they are foreigners. "All these negotiations will be secret deals," he said, adding this was how the foreign hostages (most of whom were missionaries) were freed by the bandits during the time of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos.

The source said pressure will definitely brought to bear upon Mrs. Arroyo from the relatives of the victims, as well as the foreign government. "She (Mrs. Arroyo) will have no choice. She will have to shell out ransom for these hostages."

When informed that Mrs. Arroyo had adopted a "no-ransom, no-negotiations" policy, the Tribune source laughed and said, "Then why did she appoint an intermediary, if there's nothing to talk about? The Abu Sayyaf people will never lay down their arms and they won't just release those hostages without getting back money in return," he said and noted that the ransom is expected by the residents in the area, since the Abu Sayyaf rebels share the ransom money with the community, which is the reason they are being protected by them, even when shelling from the military occurs.

Malacañang earlier announced that only a military solution to the Sayyaf problem is acceptable if the group refuses to release its hostages unconditionally.

Round One of the confrontation between government troops and Sayyaf group left more than a dozen soldiers injured and at least two dead.

Tiglao said the soldiers were mowed down in "morning firefight between troops and what appears to be the main force of the Abu Sayyaf occurred in Tuburan, Basilan island.

"The preliminary report indicates that seven soldiers have been wounded and two soldiers killed. Based on reports on the ground, the military believes that even bigger casualties had been inflicted on this bandit group," Tiglao said.

Independent sources told the Tribune that 18 soldiers have been wounded, and two Army soldiers declared dead.

Ten civilian residents of a barangay in Basilan were reportedly wounded as military troops went on the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf band with heavy firepower. Government soldiers launched mortar fire with the use of Howitzer 105s.

Three of the seriously wounded were seen being airlifted to Zamboanga City for prompt medical treatment. They were identified as one Mila Isa, whose leg was said to have been decapitated after being hit by mortar fire, her husband Dawa Isa and one Josefina Francisco.

Basilan is about 400-km from the Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi Island where the group was seen after the May 27 abduction in the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan Island. (Tribune)