MNLF negotiates release of Abu hostages in Sulu

MANILA, Philippines - The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which signed a 1996 peace pact with the government, said it sent emissaries on Monday to negotiate the release of foreign and Filipino hostages being held by al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

MNLF commander Khabir Malik said his group sent about 10 commanders to the jungle hideouts of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu to convince the extremist group’s leaders to release all their captives.

Malik waited with hundreds of armed rebels in Sulu’s Patikul town for word from the emissaries, who he said were given three days to negotiate.

He refused to say what the MNLF would do if the Abu Sayyaf would not free the captives.

“We are resorting to peaceful discussions and God’s wisdom to ask them to turn over their hostages to us,” Malik told AP by cell phone from Patikul. “If they won’t agree, we will leave to God whatever will happen.”

Authorities believe the captives include Dutch Elwold Horn and Swiss Lorenzo Vinceguerre who were seized in February last year while bird watching in nearby Tawi-Tawi.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen are also believed to be holding Japanese treasure hunter Toshio Ito, alias Mamaito Katayama, and Jordanian TV journalist Baker Atyani together with his two Filipino crew Romelito Vela and Roland Letrico who reportedly traveled to Abu Sayyaf encampments in Sulu to interview the militants in June but failed to return.

Despite the MNLF move, police authorities are focused on the kidnapping cases, said Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima.

“There are people working on these cases,” Purisima said in Zamboanga City yesterday. He refused to give details.

Malik said his group took the step after its commanders decided in a recent meeting to help the government, military and police clean up the image of Sulu.

Malik said the MNLF move was not aimed at bolstering the candidacy of its chairman, Nur Misuari, who is running for governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on May 13.

The rebels, he said, would not pay the ransom demanded by the Abu Sayyaf for the captives’ freedom.

“We have long planned this but we could not coordinate well and muster the force we will need so these violators will listen to us,” Malik said.

Senior Superintendent Antonio Freyra, Sulu police director, said Malik informed him of the MNLF plan to negotiate the freedom of the hostages.

Sulu police forces were on standby but would not get involved in the rebel initiative, he said.

Malik said the MNLF emissaries would attempt to meet with Radulan Sahiron, a one-armed militant, and other Abu Sayyaf commanders.

Washington has offered a $1-million reward for the capture or killing of Sahiron, who has been accused of many terrorist acts.   – AP, Roel Pareño