Manila says rebels ready to solve hostage crisis

"Basically, what he told me was that he is (ready) for thesolution of this hostage situation," Aventajado said in an interview with Manila’s ANC News Channel television network.

He said Andang, known as Commander Robot, told him he haddesignated a relative to act as a go-between with the government panel.

"He said he will give the bottom-line demands of the AbuSayyaf through this person so that we can resolve this situation," Aventajado said, referring to the fundamentalist group holding the hostages on southern Jolo island.

Asked if he saw a breakthrough in the long-running saga,Aventajado said: "I guess this direct conversation that I had with Commander Robot could be a very important development.

"He was the one who sought me out and he came up with thissuggestion…so that what they really want can be conveyed to me using a very clean channel."

The Abu Sayyaf has issued several political demands,including the establishment of an Islamic state in the South of the mainly Catholic Philippines. Manila has rejected them but offered the guerrillas limited autonomy.

A QUESTION OF MONEY?

Officials said the Abu Sayyaf had also demanded $1.0million per hostage. Although Manila says it is opposed to paying ransom, some officials have said the issue will boil down to a question of money.

The hostages — eight Malaysians, three Germans, two Frenchnationals, two South Africans, two Finns, two Filipinos and one Lebanese — were abducted from a Malaysian resort on April 23 and brought to Jolo, 960 km (600 miles) South of Manila.

The Abu Sayyaf — one of two rebel groups fighting for anindependent Moslem homeland in the Philippines — is holding a total of 40 hostages.

The others include the three crew of France 2 television,German reporter Andreas Lorenz of Der Spiegel news magazine and 13 Filipino evangelists who went to Jolo to see the hostages and ended up being taken captive themselves.

The Abu Sayyaf is also holding two Filipino teachers and aboy they abducted on Basilan island, near Jolo, in March.

Aventajado said that Andang confirmed to him that the AbuSayyaf was holding the three French journalists — Maryse Burgot, Jean-Jacques Le Garrec and Roland Madura — "as additional hostages".

Aventajado, quoting Andang, also said Lorenz was being heldby a "lost command", a local term referring to rebels who have turned to banditry and do not obey guerrilla commanders.

The French crew Left Jolo town on Sunday after arranging aninterview with Andang through intermediaries, despite repeated warnings not to travel to rebel-held areas, police said.

President Joseph Estrada said the incursions by evangelistsand foreign journalists into the rebel lair had complicated the problem.

"That’s why I have ordered the local police to stop, ifpossible, any foreigner or whoever is not involved in this issue from entering (rebel territory)," Estrada said in a radio programme. He said it would be difficult to set a deadline for resolving the crisis and suggested a rescue attempt would be risky.

"If many foreigners die, our international image will bedamaged. So far, we are doing everything to resolve this without anyone getting killed or hurt," he said.