June 26, 2000, The Philippine Star, One down 20 to go, by Roel Pareño,

9 Sulkurnain to 2 Zulkurnain,

"One down, 20 to go." Malacañang urged yesterday the Abu Sayyaf terrorists to "take the ultimate step" and release the remaining 20 mostly foreign hostages being held in the jungles of Jolo, Sulu for nine weeks now. Malacañang viewed the release of Malaysian hostage Sulkurnain bin Hashim as a "gesture of goodwill" by the Abu Sayyaf. 

Zulkurnain was reportedly bitten by a scorpion and needed immediate medical attention. Asked about the remaining 20 hostages, among them eight more Malaysians, Presidential Adviser Robert Aventajado, the government's chief negotiator with the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers, said their release can now be expected. 

"The important thing is we produce results," he said. "For me, it is one down, 20 to go." He described the Malaysian's release as a "breakthrough" in the negotiations. Sulkurnain was reportedly taken by a commercial ferry to Zamboanga City for the handover to Aventajado. 

Aventajado flew in from Manila yesterday just to receive Sulkurnain who was already at presidential consultant Lee Peng Hui's residence in Barangay Pasonanca, Zamboanga City. Aventajado then turned over the 29-year-old Sulkurnain, a forest ranger, to Malaysian authorities preparatory to his trip back to his home state of Sabah in Malaysia. 

Asked why the kidnappers chose to free Sulkurnain, Aventajado said he is the "most religious in the group, so maybe, they took pity on him." Apart from eight other Malaysians, the remaining captives consist of a German family of three, a South African couple, two French, two Finns, two Filipinos and a Lebanese. 

They were seized from the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan in Sabah on April 23 and taken by boat across the sea border to nearby Sulu. Observers said Sulkurnain's release caught Aventajado's team, most of whom were in Manila during the weekend, by surprise. Negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf had been in limbo, with the government panel having formally met only once with leaders of the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers, and that was last May 27. 

Since then, communications with the kidnappers were mostly through emissary, with no significant headway being attained. Malaysian deputy chief of mission Badruddin Ab-Rahman said he did not know anything about Sulkurnain's release, until Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan informed him about it Saturday night. 

Badruddin said he hoped all the hostages would be set free. "We don't want to see (a situation) when only the Malaysians are released. We just hope all the hostages are released as soon as possible," Badruddin said. 

The Malaysian official has been in Jolo in recent days trying to help send a Malaysian Red Crescent mission with food and medical supplies to the hostages. The team was scheduled to leave yesterday, but officials said the trip might be delayed for a day. Kuala Lumpur has repeatedly denied any involvement in the reported backdoor talks with the Abu Sayyaf with a ransom offer of $300,000 for each of the nine Malaysian hostages. Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar also said no concessions were made in exchange for the freedom of Zulkurnain. He also urged the Abu Sayyaf to release the remaining hostages. "I feel that in their own interest, the best thing will be for them to release all the captives," Albar said. 

Tycoon admits role in hostage's release 

Local tycoon and presidential consultant on economic affairs Lee Peng Hui said he was instrumental in securing Sulkurnain's freedom. Lee told reporters the Abu Sayyaf handed over the Malaysian to one of his emissaries. 

He denied that ransom was paid, but added they slowly worked their way into the Abu Sayyaf's confidence. "We are already inside. We have a way to negotiate. At least, the door is open for us," Lee said. He stressed that he was merely following Aventajado's instructions. 

Malaysia's Sunday Star newspaper quoted Lee as saying the Abu Sayyaf will release the captives one by one. Sulkurnain's wife, Siti Hajar Jakiah, told the newspaper that her husband had telephoned her from Zamboanga City Saturday night, but that she still could not believe he had been freed. Meanwhile, a military source, citing intelligence reports, said Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani has returned to the island province of Basilan after a few weeks' stay in Jolo to evade hot pursuit operation by soldiers in Basilan. 

Col. Saulito Aromin, commander of the Army's 103rd Infantry Brigade, said Janjalani and his family landed at a coastal village in Sumisip town last June 17. Seven members of Janjalani's family were released by Muslim vigilantes in a hostage swap in Jolo last week, with the Abu Sayyaf setting free five school children they snatched in Sumisip on March 20. 

"We received reports that Khadaffy and his men arrived in the province, along with his family members," Aromin said. Aromin said Janjalani's armed force has been severely emaciated by the military's all-out offensive in Basilan last month. He warned, however, that the Abu Sayyaf may intensify its recruitment of new fighters from various schools in Basilan. - By Roel Pareño, with wire reports