Posted on 03/26/2002 2:16:02 AM PST by duck soup
UNITED States and Philippine officials Tuesday denied they arranged for a three million-dollar ransom to be paid for an American couple held hostage by Muslim Abu Sayyaf gunmen.
US television network Fox News, citing unnamed sources in Washington, had reported the ransom was paid allegedly to the rebels who have been holding Martin and Gracia Burnham from Wichita, Kansas, since May.It said the money was paid last week, but gave no other details on how it was delivered to the rebels on the southern island of Basilan.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao said her government stands by its policy against paying ransoms to terrorist groups.
"It's not true," Tiglao said. "We're not aware of any such ransom payments."
He said the military also has a policy of "actively interdicting any attempt to cross the lines or contact the Abu Sayyaf and arrange for ransom payments."
Philippine officials "trust the US government policy" and there is no need to get an official comment from Washington about the alleged ransom payment, Tiglao said.
National Security Adviser Roilo Golez, for his part, reiterated the two governments' no-ransom policy.
"We would like to state categorically this is not true. The operation against the Abu Sayyaf to rescue the Martin and Gracia Burnham and Ediborah Yap continues," Golez told newsmen.
He said he had discussed the news item with officials at the US embassy in the Philippines, who all denied categorically that ransom was paid or that an official from the embassy had helped facilitate the payment.
"The military is pursuing the Abu Sayyaf is because they are holding innocent victims. For as long as the innocent victims are there, the military will continue pursuing them," he said.
"There will be no negotiations if conditions are to be set. They have to release the hostages unconditionally," Golez further said.
The government is also ruling out a ceasefire proposed by the Abu Sayyaf, allegedly to allow echanging hostage Yap with the hospitalization of a Kumander Bakal, one of Abu Sayyf leader Esnilon Hapilon's henchmen who was critically wounded in one of the encounters.
US embassy spokeswoman Karen Kelly stressed the US government will "make no concessions" to hostage takers but will use "every appropriate resource to gain the safe return of American citizens who are held hostage."
"It is the US government policy to deny hostage takers the benefits of ransom," Kelly said in a television interview.
Starting.........now. (synchronize watches)
Now, the conservative Op Eds are discussing the ramifications of paying ransom to terrorists. (And I thought I was just disappointed that the justice slots weren't all filled during the Spring Break.)
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