Manila rebels ready to talk

By Hugh Williamson in Manila
August 30 2000

A faction of the Abu Sayyaf rebel group said on Wednesday it was "prepared to talk" about conditions for the release of a US national kidnapped on Monday.

A spokesman said the hostage, named as Jeffrey Schilling, 24, from Oakland, California, would be killed if negotiations - on as-yet unspecified political demands - were not fruitful.

The US embassy in Manila confirmed in a statement that it had "credible evidence" that Mr Schilling had been abducted. The US called for the immediate unconditional release of Mr Schilling and other hostages being held on Jolo in a separate Abu Sayyaf kidnapping.

Abu Sayyaf is a loose alliance of Muslim separatists and bandits. The ostensibly more ideological faction holding Mr Schilling killed two Filipino hostages when its political demands were not met earlier this year .

However, in a statement the embassy said the US "does not make deals with terrorists" and would not be paying a ransom "or making any concessions that reward hostage-taking". It added that an investigative team had been sent to Zamboanga, a city near Jolo island.

The US has criticised Libya for allegedly paying up to $12m in ransom for the release of western hostages on Jolo island. Libya, which denies paying any ransom, has offered to mediate in Mr Schilling's release. A US official refused to comment.

Ronaldo Zamora, executive secretary to Joseph Estrada, the Philippine president, said his government would lead negotiations for Mr Schilling's release. Manila also said it hoped the abduction would not delay the release of the other hostages.

Mr Zamora signalled stronger resistance to paying a ransom. "We cannot go on like this. Otherwise we will be doing exactly what those against ransom have been saying. We are just setting ourselves up for more problems in the future."

Mr Schilling had been in the Philippines since March and had recently been married to a Filipino woman who, according to reports, is related to a senior Abu Sayyaf member. A convert Islam, he was in Jolo island when he was abducted, according to his wife.

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