Two Filipino Hostages Freed

Z A M B O A N G A, Philippines, June 16 -- Two Filipino hostages walked free in the Philippines on Saturday after three weeks of captivity with Muslim rebels, and the government said the rebel leader who kidnapped them had been killed.

The most senior civilian official on Basilan, the islandstronghold of the self-styled Abu Sayyaf rebels, said he hadconfirmation the guerrilla chief, Khadafy Janjalani, was killedin a shootout with troops two weeks ago.

The two freed hostages were a 12-year-old girl, KimberlyJao, and a 50-year-old man, Francis Ganzon. The pair walked freeafter their families apparently paid ransom.

They were among three Americans and 17 Filipinos abducted bythe Abu Sayyaf from an upscale beach resort on May 27, taken bypowerful speedboats over 300 miles of sea to Basilanand kept under armed guard in jungle hideouts as the gunmenfought off pursuing troops.

"The (military) pressure is too much for them (the rebels),so they are trying to ease the pressure by giving thesehostages," a senior official, who requested anonymity, toldReuters.

But local officials said there was little doubt ransom waspaid. They said the two were escorted from a guerrilla camp onBasilan by a local Muslim leader who had claimed in a radiointerview three days ago he was being held hostage by the AbuSayyaf.

Presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said the three wereallowed to leave by the guerrillas two days ago and reachedIsabela, the capital of Basilan, after walking through densemountainous jungles.

They then took a ferry to the nearby city of Zamboanga,where the three were taken in by the military and given a meal.Video footage obtained by Reuters showed Jao feeding ravenouslyon fried chicken while Ganzon talked on a mobile phone.

BROUGHT TO MANILA

Jao and Ganzon, the youngest and the oldest among thehostages, were later brought to Manila, 900 km (550 miles) tothe north, in an air force jet.

Jao, wearing a scarf above a long-sleeved blue shirt andtrousers, kept her head and face covered when they arrived inthe capital. Ganzon was hugged by his wife, who herself was ahostage until two weeks ago. Neither spoke to reporters.