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October 4, 2000, The Manila Bulletin, Erap receives Almeda, 11 others in Malacañang,

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October 4, 2000, The Manila Bulletin, Erap receives Almeda, 11 others in Malacañang,

How group got away from Sayyaf recalled

President Estrada presented to international media yesterday the 12 evangelists led by Wilde Almeda recovered by troopers after being held hostage for over two months by Abu Sayyaf and said the end is in sight for the hostage crisis.

The President looked pleased over the recovery of the hostages, 18 days after he ordered the military assault against the Abu Sayyaf.

"Despite the criticisms and attacks from some sectors of our society, we were able to achieve this," the President said as he welcomed the hostages to Malacañang amid the tears of joy among members of the Jesus Miracle group led by the families of the hostages.

The President congratulated AFP chief of staff Gen. Angelo Reyes and Brig. Gen. Narciso Reyes, ground commander of the rescue operations.

The President also thanked the Filipino people, most of whom supported his military course of action for their prayers for peace and stability.

The hostages were airlifted to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City from Mindanao yesterday.

Almeda was carried on a stretcher and hooked up to a life-saving oxygen tank.

Almeda led a group of evangelists from his ministry who paid US$3,000 to gain entry to the Abu Sayyaf camp in the jungles of Jolo. They were not allowed to leave after preaching to the Abu Sayyaf.

The President, in a news conference that followed after the hostages' arrival, vowed that the government will intensify its efforts to rescue the remaining hostages.

Those still held by the Abu Sayyaf are Filipino Rolando Ullah, American Jeffrey Schilling, and three Malaysians.

"We are hopeful that this will signal the early recovery of the remaining hostages," the President said as he expressed hope that the crisis would be resolved soon to allow the government to finish its unfinished task of bringing "genuine and lasting peace and development" to Mindanao.

In the press briefing presided by President Estrada, General Abaya appeared irritated by a question implying that the hostages were just left by the terrorists for the Army troopers to recover.

Responding that "you have to look at it in context," General Abaya also said that from Day One, Sept. 16, when the President ordered the rescue operations, the military-police task force pursued the Abu Sayyaf bandits relentlessly.

In 18 days, he said, there were 48 encounters which demoralized and wearied the kidnappers.

The last encounter, a major one, took place Sept. 28 which, he said, made Commander Robot decide to move ahead, leaving behind the religious hostages in the custody of 17 Abu Sayyaf members.

Monday, at 8 a.m., an evangelist, Fernando Solo, escaped and was found by men of the 59th Infantry Division. Solo gave leads on the location of the hostages. When the Abu Sayyaf men saw the soldiers, they fled.

Only two shots were fired. The soldiers first recovered seven hostages and, after further pursuit, another four.

"From a narrow context, there was no firefight," Abaya said. "From a larger context of the pursuit operation (where) the Army lost four lives and had 10 wounded, this does not come free. We had a price to pay for this release."

"The core group, headed by Robot and Sabaya, are still in Sulu. Others could have sailed to nearby islands," Abaya added.

"We have lesser and lesser leads as to where the hostages are. But we believe that in a few days, we will be getting additional leads as to their whereabouts."

Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, who also appeared at the press conference, cited the success of the twin missions of the task force -- to ensure the safety and the lives of the hostages and to stop the Abu Sayyaf in their kidnap-for-ransom activities.

"The second mission is for us to really neutralize, capture, or finally make these people incapable of kidnapping-for-ransom activities," Mercado declared. "That is a mission that is still being pursued until all of the Abu Sayyaf are properly held accountable for their crimes." (BPT)

Faith

Sen. Robert Z. Barbers, chairman of the Senate public order and illegal drugs committee, ascribed yesterday the safe recovery of Wilde Almeda, head of Jesus Miracle Crusade (JMC), and his 11 followers from the clutches of their Abu Sayyaf kidnappers in Sulu to their unwavering faith in God.

"From the very start, I have always believed that prayer can move mountains and the safe recovery of the IMC evangelists is a living proof of the power of prayer," Barbers said.

The former bemedalled Manila police officer said he firmly believes that all the events that led to the freedom of the JMC evangelists, particularly last Sunday's escape of one of its members, Fernando Solon, were all the will of God.

Following Solon's escape from the mountainous lair of the Muslim extremists and the information he provided, the military launched a rescue operation.The 11 others were rescued in that military assault.

Sen. Rodolfo G. Biazon, chairman of the Senate national defense and security committee, cautioned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that the safe recovery of Almeda and his evangelists should not cause the AFP to slow down its pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf leaders and men.

Biazon, a former AFP chief of staff, also recommended the replacement of the AFP troops who have been in the military assault the last 15 days as they may be feeling worn out.

After being airlifted first to Zamboanga and later to Manila yesterday morning, the emaciated Almeda was brought to his Quezon City residence by his family to recuperate from his ordeal that reportedly caused a deterioration of his heart problem.

Almeda was not taken to a hospital for medical care as JMC evangelists do not subscribe to the healing powers of physicians.

Barbers commended Almeda and his fellow JMC evangelists for their courage and selfless act of risking their lives for the sake of the original Sipadan (Malaysia) hostages.

Medicines

Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez yesterday assured the public that supplies of medicines to Mindanao are sufficiently provided to people affected by the war between Muslim rebels and military troopers.

"We understand there have been people displaced and that there are some localities where there are civilians to get. This situation has to be verified. But in terms of medicines, we have sent medical supplies and we have personnel and additional supplies ready. We are ready to respond to any verified instances or mass problem," the health secretary emphasized.

Romualdez said that assorted drugs, medicines, and supplies amounting to P790,231.31 were sent to Jolo disaster for the medical needs of the people affected by the military rescue operations against the Abu Sayyaf.

The medical goods consist of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensives and anti-anxiety medicines, surgical supplies, intravenous fluids, blood reagents, anti-tetanus serum, oxygen and nitrous oxide, it was learned.

The medical teams composed of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and a psychosocial team were also sent as part of the operation. (SM)

2 killed

TUNGAWAN, Zamboanga del Sur - A member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and his son were killed by a group of unidentified men, believed to be members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, here the other day.

Reports from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office 9 identified the slain victim as Rennie Dadiva, a CAFGU member operating under the supervision of the 33rd Infantry Battalion.

Dadiva's stepson, identified as Chito Vales, 11, was also declared dead on the spot in the incident.

Police investigators said that the suspects entered his house at barangay Poblacion here by posing as customers who wanted printing jobs for their t-shirts.

The suspects then pulled out their handguns and shot the victim in the forehead at close range.

Vales, on the other hand, was dragged by the suspects from their house to the highway where he was later hacked dead with a bolo.

Elements of the Tungawan PNP Station were deployed in the crime scene to conduct pursuit operations against the suspects. (Aris Ilagan)

Bombing

PAGADIAN (AFP) - Five people were killed Tuesday after a bomb was hurled into a police outpost in the southern Philippine city of Pagadian, a senior police official said.

A policeman and two children were among those killed in the blast, which wounded two other children, Chief Inspector Dionisio Perdiguez said.

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