July 22, 2000, The Philippine Star, Pinay Teachers Freed: Sayyaf Fight Over Ransom,

July 22, 2000, The Philippine Star, Pinay Teachers Freed: Sayyaf Fight Over Ransom, 

Jolo, July 22, 2000 - An apparent squabble over huge ransom payments is splitting the Abu Sayyaf and muddling negotiations for the release of the group's hostages.

An Abu Sayyaf commander reportedly snatched four of seven Malaysian hostages from rival Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot, then released the four to a group led by former presidential adviser Dee Ping Wee.

Vincent Kwong, Lee Hock Liong, Francis Masangkin and Balaksrishnan Nair were freed by Abu Sayyaf commander Radulan Sajiron on a beach near Patikul town in Sulu at dawn yesterday. Andang reportedly planned to release all the seven Malaysians to presidential adviser Robert Aventajado, who heads the government team negotiating for the release of the Abu Sayyaf's hostages.

Meanwhile, a third Abu Sayyaf leader released two Filipino school teachers to a local official in Patikul. Teresita Academia and Erlinda Manuel were handed to Sulu Vice Gov. Munib Estino by Abu Ahmad Sabaya, another Abu Sayyaf commander. The two teachers were the last hostages from an original group of over 70 who were snatched last March 20 in Basilan.

Sources monitoring the hostage crisis said Andang initially wanted to free all of the seven Malaysians who were part of the 21 captives the Muslim extremists seized from a resort in Sabah on April 23. However, Sajiron reportedly "hijacked" four of the Malaysians and handed them to emissaries of Dee Ping Wee, a businessman friend of President Estrada.

Sources said Aventajado was angry that Lee, who has business interests in Mindanao and in Sabah, bypassed him by going directly to the President for permission to negotiate the handover. He later publicly thanked Lee, describing him as "my coordinator" in the negotiations.

"I don't care who gets the credit because the important thing is to resolve this problem as soon as possible," he said.

In Manila, Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said the Abu Sayyaf has "so many factions" and that these factions may actually be quarreling over ransom. He did not discount the possibility that a ransom was paid for the release of the four Malaysians.

"If there were ransoms paid, we do not know about it. But this does not mean it's not happening. It is possible that a Malaysian or a Malaysian businessman may have paid ransom," he explained.

Commander Robot's group freed Monday ailing German hostage Renate Wallert after releasing two other Malaysians earlier.

Sources said the flurry of activity has netted the Abu Sayyaf $4 million, though no one among the six countries whose citizens were among the captives had admitted to paying ransom.

Commander Robot's faction still holds five French citizens including three journalists, three Malaysians, two Germans, two Finns, two South Africans, Lebanese woman, and 15 Filipinos including 13 preachers. Except for the journalists and the preachers, all were snatched from the Sipadan diving resort in Sabah.

Janjalani's faction released two Filipino teachers yesterday while a "lost command" led by a former Janjalani aide still has in its custody a German journalist of Der Spiegel magazine.

Aventajado said Commander Robot had told him that the women would be released ahead of the men. "I don't know whether the women will be released all together or one by one depending on the result of the negotiations," he said.

Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan told reporters government emissaries had been advised that five more hostages would be freed "in the next few days," but did not identify them.