Abu Sayyaf demand impossible - Estrada

No way.

President Estrada rejected yesterday demands from a Muslim rebel group that he intercede for the release of five Islamic extremists held in US and local jails in exchange for the freedom of 29 hostages.

"It is impossible. We will not compromise with them," Mr. Estrada told reporters in response to the five-point demand of the fundamentalist group Abu Sayyaf.

"I am warning them, they will be met with the full force of the law and full force of the military," the President said after a ceremonial tee-off at the second Erap Cup golf tournament at the Midlands Golf Course in Tagaytay City.

"We will teach them a lesson," he said. "We will not allow them to kidnap more victims. We will not tolerate their committing terrorist acts."

Mr. Estrada said "it will take a little time" before the hostages are released, but said the government "will surely win the fight" against the Abu Sayyaf.

For his part, Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said that Muslim rebel demands were "impossible" and "illogical."

"These are not only impossible demands but illogical as well," Mercado said, stressing that the Philippines could not compel foreign countries to release prisoners.

He voiced hoped that the demands by the Abu Sayyaf group for the release of 29 hostages they are holding in Basilan were just part of the "usual bargaining process" and that they would eventually formulate more realistic demands.

Meanwhile, Senate President Franklin Drilon said the rebels' demands are "ridiculous" and "out of this world."

Earlier, Abu Ahmad, spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf, said his group was demanding freedom for three Muslim militants jailed in the United States, including Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York.

Yousef hid in Manila before fleeing to Pakistan, where he was arrested in 1995. The Philippine National Police said the Abu Sayyaf had links with Yousef, who allegedly planned to assassinate Pope John Paul II during the pontiff's visit to Manila in early 1995.

"We don't care what you call them, whether international terrorists or not. They are our Muslim brothers," Ahmad said.

"We will not beg the government to grant our demands. If they want war tomorrow, we are ready," he added.

Mercado said the Cabinet members dealing with security issues would discuss the Abu Sayyaf demands but that negotiations would be left to a provincial crisis committee.

The rebels also demanded the release of two other overseas Muslim prisoners, a certain Abu Haidal and Sheik Abdul Omar.

It was unclear if Sheik Abdul Omar is the same person as Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, a Muslim cleric jailed for plotting to bomb several New York City locations.

Haidal is reported to be one of the teachers of an Abu Sayyaf leader although it is unclear why he is jailed.

Ahmad further demanded the release of two Abu Sayyaf members, Hajirul Ampul and Ustadz Ampa, who are being held in local jails.

The Abu Sayyaf spokesman made the demands in a radio interview late Friday after the group handed over two schoolgirls to movie actor Robin Padilla, who converted to Islam while serving time for illegal possession of firearms.

In addition, the group said the Department of Education, Culture and Sports must order women Muslim teachers and students to wear the traditional Muslim costume that completely covers the body, and that foreign fishing vessels be banned from seas around Basilan.

It also demanded a talk with the ambassador of Italy, which Ahmad said is responsible for the spread of Catholicism in the Philippines, and a stop in putting up crosses in any area in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Before the radio interview, the Abu Sayyaf released two girls who were among 31 captives held by the rebels since March 20.

The two -- Lani Cachuela, 11, and Nova Peralto, 9 -- had fallen ill with flu. They cried when they were united with their parents and other relatives in Isabela, the capital of Basilan.

The rebels had threatened to behead all their male captives if the government did not allow Padilla to participate in the negotiations.

The rebels originally seized more than 50 people from two schools in Basilan after attacking an Army outpost on March 20. They were still holding the 31, mostly schoolchildren and a Catholic priest, when Padilla arrived at their camp last Wednesday.

National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre said the government wants to use all peaceful means to resolve the hostage crisis and Padilla's role is limited to that of a mediator in the negotiations.

Politicians have criticized Padilla's participation in the negotiations, saying the government should not have given an inexperienced movie actor such a delicate task.

But Aguirre praised Padilla.

"Robin did very well in his assigned task in accordance with specific instructions given him. The public should commend him, instead of criticizing him, for he was instrumental in saving lives," Aguirre said in a statement.

Padilla and the Basilan crisis management committee went to the remote Barangay Tong Sengal in Basilan, where a vigilante group is holding nine family members of Abu Sayyaf leader Khadafy Janjalani. --