Siazon: No more protest vs Spiegel

There is no need for the Philippines to file a diplomatic protest against the German magazine Der Spiegel which accused President Estrada and one of his top advisers of pocketing ransom money during the Abu Sayyaf hostage crisis.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon said this yesterday as he clarified that the Philippines can only file such protest against a foreign country or a government and not a private company such as Der Spiegel.

Siazon said that since the German government has made clear that it had no involvement in the magazine article, there is no reason for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to even send a note verbale on the issue.

The President threatened to sue Der Spiegel and instructed the DFA to file a protest against the magazine for accusing him and Presidential Adviser for Flagship Projects Robert Aventajado of pocketing half of the $20 million ransom payment for the release of the hostages.

Der Spiegel reported that the German secret service, the BND, had taped satellite phone conversations between Abu Sayyaf leader Ghalib Andang and Aventajado, who negotiated with the bandits.

It quoted the BND as saying that Aventajado took 10 percent of the ransom payment while Mr. Estrada pocketed 40 percent.

Press Secretary Ricardo Puno said the German government has officially denied any involvement of its secret service in the magazine article. He noted that there could be some former German secret service agents who may have "sold" their services to the magazine.

Siazon, meanwhile, said the filing of a libel suit is the most appropriate action Mr. Estrada and Aventajado can take against Der Spiegel. He said Mr. Estrada can also file similar charges against local newspapers which carried the German magazine’s report.

In other developments, the military is looking into reports that two civilian negotiators involved in the hostage crisis received "cuts" in the ransom payment. – With Teddy Molina, Paolo Romero