Sayyaf's 'gift' to Estrada: Two hostages' heads

Muslim fundamentalists said yesterday they would decapitate two male hostages this afternoon as a "birthday gift" to President Estrada after he and the US Embassy rejected a demand for the release of three Arab terrorists jailed in the United States.

"We will execute two male hostages at 3 p.m. (today) as a birthday gift to President Joseph Estrada," said Abu Ahmad, spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf which is holding 29 hostages in the island-province of Basilan.

"If Malacañang wants to order a military operation, then we will wait. We will start killing the hostages," Ahmad said in a radio interview monitored in Zamboanga City.

Mr. Estrada turns 63 today.

Earlier yesterday, the US rejected the Abu Sayyaf's demand to free the three jailed militants, and vowed to protect Americans in the Philippines whom the terrorists are threatening to kidnap or kill.

"The United States does not concede to threats or demands made by terrorists," the US Embassy in Manila said in a statement. "We have seen reports of this terrorist group's demands and take all threats against American citizens seriously."

The US Embassy also advised Americans to avoid traveling to Basilan and to exercise caution.

The threat to kill or kidnap Americans in the country was issued Monday by the Muslim fundamentalist group Abu Sayyaf, which is holding 29 hostages, mostly school children, in a mountain hideout in Basilan.

The guerrillas made the threat against Americans after President Estrada dismissed their demands and threatened to send in the Armed Forces.

However, Col. Rafael Romero, Armed Forces spokesman, said the Abu Sayyaf - now known as Al Harakatul Islamia - although a terrorist group, does not have the capability to attack Americans in the country.

"These are empty threats," he said. "They (Abu Sayyaf) are tied down by their hostages and the military has them surrounded," he said.

On the other hand, Philippine National Police chief Director General Panfilo Lacson said the Abu Sayyaf lacks the logistical support and the numbers to mount terrorist attacks outside of Mindanao

"We are not discounting their capabilities," he said. "But as we all know, they have less than 200 members, and Sulu and Basilan are their only bailiwicks."

Earlier, the Abu Sayyaf said the Chief Executive should ask US President Bill Clinton to release Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, Sheik Abdurahman Omar, and Abu Haider.

All three were jailed after a US court convicted them for the December 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York.

Around 100,000 Americans are in the country, with an undetermined number of them living in Mindanao and the Visayas.

It was not immediately known if any live in Basilan, a predominantly Muslim province.

The 29 remaining hostages are believed to include 22 children, several teachers, and a Catholic priest. They were among more than 50 people abducted last March 20 but the others have since been freed.

National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre told reporters yesterday the government's policy was first to exhaust all peaceful means to secure the hostage's release.

"Of course, we have prepared and considered other options...That is already a last resort," he said.

Aguirre challenged the Abu Sayyaf to stop involving innocent women and children in their terrorist activities.

"If they want to fight the government, we have the military and the police to fight against, but let us not harm civilians," he said.

Romero said the people of Basilan should not allow the terrorists to roam freely in the island, and that the Armed Forces need the community's support to capture them.

"The people must express their outrage and say enough is enough," he said. "They cannot continue to live in fear of the Abu Sayyaf."

He said the terrorists' threat was a ploy to gain international attention and to secure financial support from other terrorists like Osama bin Laden.

Lacson said the police was ready to provide security assistance to all foreigners in Mindanao following the Abu Sayyaf's threat to kill Americans in the country.

"It is standard operating procedure for us," he said. "We are mandated to protect the lives of everybody in the country whether there is a threat or not."

In Basilan, the Abu Sayyaf warned that "the lives of the hostages will be sacrificed" if the government did not comply with their demands immediately.

"Every minute is counted and failure to deliver our demands is equivalent to the sacrifice of the lives of the visitors (hostages)," said Abu Asmad Salayuddin, Abu Sayyaf spokesman.

The band of terrorists said that international terrorist Osama bin Laden has ordered his supporters to send them help in pinpointing terrorism targets.

"They would know when and where the occurrences would be because we are not bluffing," Salayuddin said in Pilipino.

Meanwhile, Basilan Gov. Wahab Akbar gave the Abu Sayyaf an ultimatum to release the hostages before month's end or face a relentless assault, which he will personally lead.

In Congress, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said the Abu Sayyaf seemed to be intoxicated with their initial success in demanding for action star Robin Padilla to negotiate for the government.

The government delivered 200 sacks of rice to them even before starting the negotiations for the hostages' release, he added.

"This initial submission by the government has encouraged the group to take a dangerous position of believing that they can push the government to the limits and get away with it," he said.

Biazon said this was the only explanation for their impossible and irrational demands that clearly cannot be accepted by the government.

"If the Abu Sayyaf continues to push for these demands, and makes true their threats, which includes their threat to kill Americans, the government is left with no choice but to implement the last option--the use of force, because it is impossible for government to grant such demands," he said.

In General Santos City, Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Daisy Avance-Fuentes said the latest developments were slowly showing the Abu Sayyaf's "true color" that they are nothing but criminals.

"They have been acting like criminals," she said. "I think the government should seriously consider another approach to this problem."

Fuentes said the government was not inclined to make a compromise in dealing with the terrorists and that it was unfortunate that they were still holding 29 hostages.

"They should not expect any money from the government, (which is) of course the money of the people," she said. "There is no room for any compromise for the Abu Sayyaf as far as I am concerned."