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Abu hostage swap rejected By Roel Pareno The Philippine Star 03/26/2002 ZAMBOANGA CITY - Thanks, but no thanks. The military rejected yesterday an offer of the Abu Sayyaf to swap one of its hostages, nurse Deborah Yap, for safe passage for a member of the group who was critically wounded in a recent gunbattle, the Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) said. Southcom chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu said relatives of wounded Abu Sayyaf leader Bakal Hapilon relayed the request to him at around 8 a.m. yesterday. Cimatu rejected the offer. "Release all three hostages and the military will agree that...

Yield or die, Abu told GMA issues ultimatum; AFP junks cease-fire bid By Joel R. San Juan President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday said the Abu Sayyaf would be wiped out if they do not surrender and immediately free their remaining three hostages. President Arroyo’s strong statement came at the heels of a request from the extremist group led by Commander Isnilon Hapilon for a cease-fire to set the stage for the release of American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipino nurse Deborah Yap. The three have been captives of the Abu Sayyaf for the past nine months. The truce would...

FIGHTING between government troops and Muslim guerillas escalated, as the government tries to end a drawn-out hostage crisis in the south, a GMA News Live report said. The bandits are holding three hostages – American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap. Members of the Army's 100th Brigade engaged Abu Sayyaf members in a gunbattle Saturday afternoon, one of several reported skirmishes in the jungles of Basilan province in the past two weeks. The clash was reported in barangay Lantugan in Lantawan town. Southern Command chief Gen. Roy Cimatu has reportedly sent augmentation troops, including two MG...

ZAMBOANGA CITY-The Abu Sayyaf leader holding American couple Martin and Gracia Burnham hostage demanded one million pesos in "acceptance fee" from negotiators before talks could begin, and one million pesos more for the freedom of Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap. Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon made the demands in letters he wrote on March 6 and March 9. The letters, with no specific addressee, were handed to a local emissary on March 12. "I received the letters last week (March 12) and I don't know what to do with them because I don't have resources and enough protection to move...