Janjalani's wife, daughter freed

Muslim vigilantes released yesterday the wife and one-year-old daughter of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadafy Janjalani for humanitarian reasons.

This developed as the government finally gave in to the Abu Sayyaf's demand for action star Robin Padilla to help negotiate for the release of 33 hostages held by the rebels.

Karima Janjalani was freed by vigilante leader Abdul Mijal because she is due to give birth anytime while her daughter Jasmin was running a fever.

Abu Sayyaf spokesman Asmad Alahuddin confirmed the release but said nothing about what his group would offer in return. Mijal had earlier threatened to execute Janjalani's relatives by firing squad on April 15 if the Abu Sayyaf kills its hostages.

Mijal's group still has nine of Janjalani's family and relatives captive.

Karima and Jasmin Janjalani are now with Karima's father, Ustadz Hussein Manatad, who is the chief negotiator of the crisis management committee set up to negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf.

The committee had earlier recommended that Padilla participate in the negotiations to secure the release of the hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf.

Padilla will not lead the government's negotiating team, according to National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre who is in Basilan supervising the hostage negotiations.

"The government has approved in principle the inclusion of Padilla in the negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf, but he will only act as mediator, who would deliver messages of the rebels to the government," Southern Command spokesman Col. Ernesto de Guzman quoted Aguirre as saying.

Aguirre said the situation so far remained "manageable."

"The situation is stable, manageable. The Crisis Management Committee is preparing to effect the negotiation for the safe release of all the hostages," Aguirre said.

The committee was set up to handle the hostage situation and negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf.

In Manila, Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said Padilla cannot lead the team because Padilla has "no experience" in hostage situations.

"It does not mean that if he converted to becoming a Muslim makes him qualified to join the negotiations," Zamora explained. "If you are not experienced on this, it would be easy to give something which should not be given."

Because of this, Zamora said, the government will close watch the talks between the Abu Sayyaf and Padilla. He again ruled out any direct contact between Padilla and the rebels.

The crisis management committee is optimistic that the hostage situation would be over before April 15.

Basilan Vice Governor Adbulaziz Balamo said that Abu Sayyaf leader Janjalani has agreed to swap hostages with the vigilante group if the government allows Padilla to participate in the hostage negotiations.

"We were assured by [the Abu Sayyaf] of a total swapping of hostages after the negotiation," Balamo said.

The remaining 33 hostages have appealed anew to the government to speed up the negotiations because they could no longer endure life in the jungle.

In an interview aired over the government-owned radio station DXMR Radyo ng Bayan, the hostage claimed they need food, medicine, clothing and shelter. They were being treated well by their captors, they added.

"It's cold up here at night time and some of the children were hit by colds and flu and skin diseases," one hostage said. - With Roel Pareño, Marichu Villanueva, AP