No escape from camote for Brother Wilde

For televangelist Wilde Almeda, there’s no escaping death, taxes and camote.

After spending three months in the Abu Sayyaf’s lair, Almeda and his 11 followers must have looked forward to eating something other than camote or sweet potato – their staple in the jungles of Sulu.

Unaware of this, military personnel welcomed the former hostages at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City with a snack — of caramelized camote, or camote-cue.

"Praise the Lord!" chanted Almeda’s followers ne-vertheless when they arrived yesterday in Manila on board a Philippine Air Force plane from Zamboanga City.

But Almeda was unconscious when he was brought down from the plane strapped onto a stretcher.

Military doctors examined him briefly and took him to a waiting ambulance. But he was inexplicably brought down again and taken to a room where he stayed for two hours.

"Allelujah!" cried Almeda’s followers as they descended the stairs down to the tarmac and were reunited with their families waiting in the presidential hangar.

Noticeably absent was Almeda’s wife, Lina, who was reportedly at Malacañang waiting for her husband.

Lina Almeda had earlier criticized President Estrada for ordering the military attack against the Abu Sayyaf, saying that the President endangered the lives of the hostages.

After a stopover at Villamor Air Base, Almeda and his followers were airlifted to Malacañang on board four military Huey helicopter troopships for an audience with the President.

The preachers told reporters waiting for them at Villamor that they were overjoyed at getting their freedom back and they were looking forward to continue their evangelical work.

They all wore long-sleeved shirts and sandals, given by officials in Zamboanga City, where they were taken after being found by soldiers in the village of Mabahay in Talipao, Sulu, the other day.

Almeda’s followers said they will hold a prayer rally in Manila very soon to express thanks to God for the safe return of their leader and his 11 "prayer warriors."

Almeda’s arrival at Villamor was marred by an exchange of heated words between reporters and military personnel, who prevented the media from getting near the plane.

Soldiers explained that they were ordered by Col. Jose Mendoza, Air Force public information officer, to prevent reporters from interviewing the preachers.

Almeda and his group were abandoned by their captors after a brief gunbattle with pursuing troops and were recovered by soldiers.

Troops were able to pinpoint the preachers’ location after one of the evangelists, Fernando Solon, escaped during a skirmish earlier in the day.

Still being held by the Abu Sayyaf are three Malaysians, American Jeffrey Schilling and Filipino dive instructor Roland Ullah.

Almeda and 12 of his followers were taken captive in early July after bribing their way into the Abu Sayyaf’s hideout to pray for 21 mostly foreign hostages snatched from the Malaysian island resort of Sipadan in April 23.

The Sipadan hostages, all except Ullah, were later released in batches. Almeda ignored authorities who warned them against going to the bandits’ lair.

When they were detained by Abu Sayyaf leader Ghalib Andang, an exasperated National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre lashed out at the preachers, calling them "blockheads."