Two Filipino Hostages Freed

Z A M B O A N G A, Philippines, June 16, 2001 -- 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.

Newspapers have repeatedly said over the past two days thatthe Abu Sayyaf were preparing to free two hostages in exchangefor 10 million pesos ($200,000) in ransom.

Jao's mother Letty and Ganzon's wife Teresa, who were alsotaken captive, were freed to arrange the ransom, the newspapershave said.

At least nine of the original 20 hostages have escaped orbeen freed amid bitter fighting between government troops andthe Abu Sayyaf on Basilan. Two of the hostages have been founddead, apparently killed by the guerrillas.

The government has said it will not pay ransom for therelease of the hostages, but officials have privately said theycannot stop victims' families paying up.

Newspapers have said the guerrillas have been using asatellite phone to contact families of the captives to makedemands and set up modes of payment.

GUERRILLA CHIEF KILLED

Wahab Akbar, the governor of Basilan, told reporters he hadconfirmation that the guerrilla chief Janjalani was killed in anencounter with troops soon after the band landed on the islandfollowing the kidnapping foray.

"They have buried him," he said. "I will be visiting hisburial place."

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said earlier this monththat Janjalani had been killed but the military said it couldnot confirm the report.

The Abu Sayyaf gunmen have taken several more hostages onBasilan and now hold the three Americans and about two dozenFilipinos.

A spokesman for the rebels said last week one of theAmericans, 40-year-old Guillermo Sobero, had been executed. Butmilitary officials have said no body has been found and theclaim appeared to be a bluff.

The Abu Sayyaf claims to be fighting for Muslim self-rule inthe south of the Roman Catholic Philippines. Its main activityhas been kidnap for ransom.

Last year, Abu Sayyaf gunmen abducted scores of hostages,including Western tourists from a resort in nearby Malaysia, andreceived about $20 million in ransom payments, local officialshave said.