July 30, 2000, The Philippine Star, Sayyaf frees TV crew, 

Abu Sayyaf gunmen released yesterday two Filipino broadcast journalists who were captured last week while covering the hostage crisis in Jolo, Sulu. Meanwhile, President Estrada vowed to crush the Abu Sayyaf as soon as all the hostages have been freed. "I just hope that there will be no more journalists kidnapped while covering the hostage crisis," said presidential adviser and chief government negotiator Robert Aventajado. 

ABS-CBN cameraman Martin Percival Cuenca and his wife, researcher Mary Ann "Maan" Macapagal, were handed over to Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan in Patikul town in Sulu where they were abducted last Monday on their way back from interviewing Abu Sayyaf leaders. 

Cuenca and Macapagal were then taken to the military's Camp Bautista in Jolo and flown to nearby Zamboanga City. Journalists waiting in Zamboanga City embraced the two and greeted each other with high fives. Macapagal, who had insect bites on her neck and arms, was teary eyed. "We also experienced what the (Sipadan) hostages went through. We were co- vering them before, we're now being covered by you," she told colleagues. 

Cuenca said before they were freed, a brief shootout erupted between their captors and another Abu Sayyaf band led by Commander Abu Sabaya "that tried to take us into their custody." Cuenca said Sabaya, who invited them for the interview, tried to rescue them because he (Sabaya) was embarrassed by the abduction.  

ABS-CBN announced that no ransom was paid for the release, but sources in Sulu said the abductors got an undetermined amount of money for "board and lodging" of the two journalists while in captivity. Cuenca and Macapagal narrated, however, that they had to sleep on a makeshift copra kiln dryer without any mats, pillows or mosquito nets, making them fair game for mosquitos. 

They said they were fed mostly rice and canned sardines, although some villagers brought them other foodstuffs. The kidnappers earlier demanded P10 million for the release of Cuenca and Macapagal. "There's no money that exchanged hands," ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III said. 

Despite the government's official "no ransom" policy, the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers have reportedly raked in some P190 million in ransom for a 56- year-old German teacher and six Malaysians who have been previously freed. The victims were part of 21 foreign tourists and workers seized on April 23 during a raid by Abu Sayyaf gunmen on the Malaysian dive resort island of Sipadan off Borneo. 

The hostages were then taken by boat across the sea border to nearby Sulu where they were kept in the kidnappers' lair in the jungles of Talipao and Jolo towns. Still being held by the Abu Sayyaf are two Germans, two South Africans, two French nationals, two Finns, two Filipinos, three Malaysians and a Lebanese. 

Abu Sayyaf splinter groups also detained 13 Filipino Christian preachers led by television evangelist Wilde Almeda, three crew members of French television and a German magazine editor. However, the kidnappers have freed Andreas Lorenz of the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel and evangelist Danilo Cuarteros of the Jesus Miracle Crusade. 

Lopez, who fetched Cuenca and Macapagal from Jolo, said they may no longer assign any reporter or cameraman to the island. Lopez said it would be best for journalists to stay in Zamboanga City because Jolo has become a "no man's land." 

Aventajado earlier warned journalists to stay out of Jolo "where everyone is fair game" for the Abu Sayyaf. Aventajado said a go-between for the Abu Sayyaf bandits has told him the three remaining Malaysians would be freed next week, with the other Sipadan hostages to follow soon. 

The chief negotiator flew to Jolo with Lopez and other ABS-CBN officials, including network senior vice president Angelo Castro Jr., to receive Cuenca and Macapagal. 

Estrada vows to go after Sayyaf 

In Washington, the President promised to go after the Abu Sayyaf after the three-month-old hostage saga in Jolo has been resolved. In an interview with the "Q & A" program of the Cable News Network, Mr. Estrada clarified, however, that no short-cut solutions (military operations) would be applied to the hostage crisis. 

"As you can see, we cannot fast-track the rescue of the hostages because the primary concern of my government is the safety of the hostages. But we are making gains now, because out of the 28 (foreign) hostages, seven have already been released," Mr. Estrada said. He added that Aventajado has assured him eight more hostages would be set free soon. 

Addressing the Filipino-American community during a dinner reception at the J.W. Marriot Hotel in Washington the other night, Mr. Estrada regretted that the hostage crisis has overshadowed the achievements of his administration. 

But he assured the audience that the government is still in "full control" of the situation in Mindanao. "We have to understand that what is happening in Mindanao does not reflect the general peace and order situation in the rest of the country. We must also realize that unless peace reigns in our land, we can never create a climate that is conducive to business and economic growth," the President said. 

"This is the reason why I assured a forceful stand against secessionist and bandit groups who have gone too far. We have to remind them that in our country, we submit to one flag only, one Constitution, one government and one armed forces," he added. -- By Roel Pareño, with Marichu Villanueva, wire reports