2 Indon hostages rescued from Abu

The military rescued yesterday in the mountains of Sulu two of three Indonesian crewmen seized in March by suspected Abu Sayyaf extremists.

Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza said Indonesians Yamin Labuso, 28, and Erickson Hutagaol, 23, were recovered while authorities continued pursuit operations against those still holding Ahmad Resmiyadi captive.

"We are now only going to have to rescue just one. Hopefully, we may be able to get him in the next few days," Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Efren Abu said on dzBB radio in Manila.

The two were taken to military brigade headquarters in Jolo where they underwent medical check-ups and were debriefed by the Army. Both were to be airlifted to the Southcom headquarters in nearby Zamboanga City, where they were expected to be presented to Indonesian embassy officials, the military said.

The victims looked haggard and pale but were in good condition, Braganza said.

Military doctors are conducting tests on Hutagaol, however, to check whether he has been infected with hepatitis B, sources said.

The two were rescued at around 2 a.m. in Barangay Kapang in the town of Indanan by elements of joint units under Southcom, according to Brig. Gen. Alexander Aleo of anti-terror Task Force Comet, in a statement released by the Armed Forces public information office at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The Indonesian Embassy in Manila thanked the government and local authorities for helping their nationals regain their freedom.

Officials at the Indonesian consulate based in Davao City were awaiting information from Southcom as to when they will see the freed hostages.

"We will just wait for the advice of Southcom as to what to do next and where we will see them," Indonesian Vice Consul Bambam Gunawan told The STAR.

It could not be ascertained if the employers of the three crewmen paid the $790,000 ransom their captors demanded in exchange for their freedom.

"They were rescued and no ransom was paid," a Southcom official said.

Braganza said the strong stand of the Philippine and Indonesian governments not to pay ransom was what paved the way for the rescue of the captives.

"We have been consistent on our no ransom (policy)," Braganza said, adding that Indonesia Ambassador Junus Effenbie Habibie indicated as much during a visit in Zamboanga City last May 26.

The three Indonesian crewmen were snatched by armed men last March 30 in Mentekang Island in Semporna, Malaysia reportedly by a group calling itself the Jamiat al-Islamiah of southern Mindanao.

The captives were later brought to Sulu.

The suspects were believed to be affiliated with the Abu Sayyaf, linked by the US and Philippine governments to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terror network.

The successful recovery of the hostages came about from "intelligence buildup," the military said.

Aleo said they had been receiving information that the kidnappers brought their three captives to Sulu. But they couldn’t verify this initially, he added.

After double checking the information, Aleo said they decided to operate at night to make sure the troops’ movement will not be detected by the suspects.

"The troops, equipped with NVG (night vision goggles), stalked the kidnappers who were caught by surprise," Aleo said.

The two victims managed to run for cover as a brief firefight ensued inflicting an undetermined number of casualties on the Abu Sayyaf, according to Aleo.

Aleo believed that Resmiyadi, now the lone captive, is with the other group of the same faction of the Abu Sayyaf holed up in the vicinity.

He assured efforts to recover Resmiyadi were ongoing.

The military admitted that they are having difficulty debriefing the two rescued hostages due to language problems as the Indonesians can only speak Bahasa.

The Indonesian ambassador is expected to fly in today to meet with the rescued victims, Braganza said.

Last month, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked President Arroyo for help in rescuing the three.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said the militants had demanded a $790,000 ransom from the hostages’ employer.

The Abu Sayyaf has been on the run from US-assisted Filipino troops in the southern Philippines since 2000, when they made international headlines after abducting and ransoming off dozens of European hostages.

The rebels seized a group of Filipinos and three Americans from a Philippine resort island the following year. Two of the Americans were later killed.

Apart from kidnappings, the Abu Sayyaf is also blamed for the Philippines’ worst terrorist bombings, including a firebomb on a ferry that killed more than 100 people in Manila Bay last year.

Security analysts have said that while the Abu Sayyaf may be on the run it could also be building links with foreign militants from the Jemaah Islamiyah regional terror network, also alleged to have ties with al-Qaeda, who have sought refuge in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

Last week the Philippines’ deputy national security adviser, Virtus Gil, said two Indonesians linked to the Bali bombings in 2002 have been spotted in Mindanao. — Edith Regalado, Roel Pareño, AFP, AP