Philippine army says ransoms for rebels' hostages may have been paid

The Philippine military said on Wednesday that ransoms may have been paid for recent hostage releases, raising fears that the Muslim extremist kidnappers can buy better weapons and recruit new members.

Despite the government's no­ransom policy, Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan said hostages' families may have paid for their freedom through private negotiators who contacted the Abu Sayyaf rebels holed up in southern Philippine jungles.

"For every 5 million pesos (dlrs 100,000) of ransom that is given to these terrorists, that means much more capability and recruits to the movement," Adan said.

The military has said the guerrillas spent millions of dollars in ransom payments from a mass kidnapping last year on weapons and speedboats.

Adan said porous Philippine banking laws impede the government from tracking payments, likely arranged via satellite phone from the southern island of Basilan, where the hostages are held. "This is difficult to intercept," Adan told reporters. "They are highly technical, electronic. It's not necessary to carry actual cash but (payment can be made) through bank transfers."

The Abu Sayyaf released Lalaine Chua and Luis Bautista on Tuesday but are still holding about 20 more, including Wichita, Kansas, missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham.

Local media reported that large ransoms were paid for Chua and Bautista. Similar rumors surfaced with the release of other hostages in recent weeks, but this is the first time the military has admitted payments might have been made.

On Tuesday, National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said Tuesday's releases show the latest abduction saga might be over "sooner than you think."

Chua and Bautista reported seeing a prominent leader of the Abu Sayyaf, Abu Sabaya, using a crutch because of a leg wound several days before their release, said Lt. Col. Danilo Servando, spokesman of the military's Southern Command. It was not clear how Sabaya was wounded, he said.

The hostages also said they had not seen Sabaya and the Abu Sayyaf's chieftain, Khaddafy Janjalani, for several days, Servando said.

On May 27, the Abu Sayyaf seized 20 hostages at a beach resort. Some have been released and the military has said others were rescued. The guerrillas seized more captives in raids on a coconut plantation and a hospital on the southern island of Basilan, one of their main bases. They have also beheaded four of their poorest Filipino hostages.

Sabaya has said his group beheaded one American, Guillermo Sobero, but his body has not been found. Sobero's younger brother Alberto made a plea on Radio Mindanao Network, which Sabaya has regularly called to make statements, for information about 40­year­old Guillermo.

"I'm still hoping that his children will see him once again and I would like to ask Mr. Sabaya that if he can, he should put him on the air or send us a letter, anything to let us know he is still alive," the younger Sobero said. "If I could, really, I would trade places with him.

"If the worst has already happened, we would respectfully ask to return his remains to us so we can give him a proper burial." Sobero's sister Ana has made two similar appeals on RMN. After the last, Sabaya reiterated that the hostage had been killed.