1st round of Sayyaf talks cancelled

Government efforts to secure the release of 21 hostages, mostly foreigners, being held in a jungle lair of the extremist Abu Sayyaf guerrillas suffered another setback yesterday as the first round of talks was canceled due to a communication breakdown.

"We will have to do it another day... we will have to reschedule it," said chief government negotiator Robert Aventajado.

He said their Abu Sayyaf counterparts had broken up into several groups and could not be contacted for the meeting.

But observers said the Abu Sayyaf leaders apparently backed out due to excessive military presence around the venue in Bandang village in Talipao town, Sulu.

The Associated Press reported that the snag developed over a military order that brought troops too close for the Abu Sayyaf's comfort to the meeting site.

The guerrillas split into several groups and by the time they were contacted, it was already too late in the day.

"The military activity caused some skepticism on the other side (Abu Sayyaf)," said negotiator Farouk Hussein.

At Malacañang, Press Undersecretary Antonio Seva said the canceled meeting cannot be considered a "failure" in negotiations. "There are factors to be considered as reason for postponement," he said.

Earlier in the day, Aventajado said he intended to achieve an immediate release of the 19 foreigners and two Filipinos being held for over a month now by the bandits.

Aventajado, who leads a four-member panel of government negotiators, said President Estrada has instructed him to resolve the hostage crisis in Sulu "as soon as possible."

He warned, however, that any monetary demands by the captors would scuttle the long-awaited talks for the release of the hostages.

The meeting between the government negotiators and the Abu Sayyaf leaders is expected to be held at a village near the coastal town of Talipao.

"They know the policy of the government. We don't pay ransom. If they ask for a ransom, that will be a deal breaker," Aventajado stressed.

He said he expected five Abu Sayyaf leaders to seriously negotiate with his team and independent mediator former Libyan Ambassador Abdul Rahab Azzarouq.

"I just hope they will be reasonable with their demands so that we could resolve the hostage situation peacefully," Aventajado added.

Although the kidnappers have not made any monetary demands, officials said the talks will eventually boil down to the payment of a ransom.

The hostages, consisting of nine Malaysians, a German family of three, a South African couple, two Finns, a French couple, a Lebanese woman and two Filipinos, were seized by gunmen on April 23 in the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan off Borneo.

They were then taken on a boat to Sulu.

Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang, also known as Commander Robot, has said the captives would be released if the talks were successful.

Aventajado also revealed that they had set aside their plan to prioritize the release of two ill hostages.

"Our plan now is to have them released at the same time, so there will just be one series of negotiations," Aventajado said.

In apparent protest over the slow pace of the negotiations for their release, the hostages refused to be examined by doctors.

Sulu provincial health director Dr. Nelsa Amin said the captives have also showed signs of depression.

In another development, the President vowed to throw the full force of the military at the rebels and terrorists out to derail government efforts to ease mass poverty.

"While my administration is determined to throw its full weight against the enemies of our sovereignty, we must also continue to do everything within our powers to secure a better future for all Filipinos," Mr. Estrada said.

Addressing ground-breaking rites for the government's P993-million irrigation project and P260 million worth of bridges in Quirino province, Mr. Estrada downplayed the secessionist uprising in Mindanao as a "minor problem."

"But this is only temporary. Once this is resolved, we will have true peace and order. We need to solve these problems now because I believe that our country would not prosper as it should if we don't have peace and order," the Chief Executive said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon Jr. said that despite the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings, the European Union (EU) has firmed up its commitment to extend development assistance to Mindanao.

Siazon said the EU adopted on May 18 a resolution manifesting its continued interest to help alleviate poverty in the South.

"They (EU) have indicated they have ongoing projects in Mindanao, and that they intend to continue participating in development projects (there) in cooperation with the Philippine government," Siazon said.

French Foreign Secretary General Loie Hennekine, Finnish Undersecretary of State Eero Falovaara and German Director General for Political Affairs Thomas Matussek met with Siazon to convey their respective government's concern on the hostage crisis in Sulu involving their nationals.

Siazon said the European mission was supportive of the Philippine government's efforts to rescue the hostages through peaceful negotiations.

In another development, Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado hit back at his critics by saying if they cannot be of help in solving the hostage crisis, they should not meddle in the issue.

"If you can't be of help, don't get in the way," Mercado told his detractors.

He was referring to comments by Senators Renato Cayetano and Raul Roco who said the defense secretary, Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes and Philippine National Police chief Director General Panfilo Reyes were unfit for their jobs.

Mercado said the legislators should instead help the government solve the hostage crisis.

For his part, Col. Jaime Canatoy, spokesman for the military, said the troops were fully behind Reyes.

"We have a very good and credible Chief of Staff. They military is behind him and we support him," Canatoy said. -- With reports from Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero, Marichu Villanueva, AP