ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 12, 2009) – Abu Sayyaf terrorists holding hostage three Red Cross workers in Sulu province denied Thursday reports they were demanding P50-million in exchange for the safe release of the captives.
“We have not demanded P50-million ransom. That is not true. What we wanted is for the military to pull out of Sulu,” an Abu Sayyaf commander, Albader Parad, told the television network ABS-CBN.
Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, also leader of a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front, was quoted as saying the terrorists were demanding the ransoms.
Sema also said that the hostages – Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino woman Mary Jean Lacaba - have been separated from each other.
Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan, head of government task force tasked to secure the safe release of the hostages, said they have no reports about the Abu Sayyaf ransom demand.
“We have no reports about it because first of all there is no negotiation with the Abu Sayyaf because they are demanding the pull out of the soldiers before any negotiations and we cannot allow that,” Tan told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said security forces have surrounded a huge area in the jungle of Indanan town where the Abu Sayyaf is holding the captives. “The Abu Sayyaf should free all the hostages because we are not going to pay any ransom to them,” he said.
The hostages who are working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were kidnapped January 15 after inspecting a water and sanitation project at a prison in Patikul town.
Previous military intelligence reports said the terrorists were also demanding $10-million ransoms for the freedom of the three aid workers. The ICRC said it will not pay ransom to the terrorist group blamed for the spate of bombings and kidnappings in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
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