Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines called off their threat to behead three US hostages yesterday but seized 15 new hostages, including children.
The Abu Sayyaf rebels announced they had postponed the threatened executions of a missionary couple and a tourist from the US after the government backed down and agreed to let a Malaysian negotiate with the guerrillas.
But just before the announcement, gunmen from the same group swooped on a village on southern Basilan island and grabbed new hostages, National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said.
The military said the rebels initially took about 40 to 50 people from the village in Lantawan but left most of them behind.
"It's an all-male group, 15 of them," Golez said, referring to the hostages taken. He said two were 12, two were teenagers and the rest were over 20.
The rebels had threatened to kill the Americans at noon if Sairin Karno, a former Malaysian senator, was not allowed to negotiate with them. Minutes before noon, the government announced it was accepting the rebels' demand.
"If what they are saying is true, that they will contact the Malaysian government and Sairin will come in and they will cease military operations here, then I can assure them that we will postpone the beheading," said rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya in a call to RMN radio shortly after noon.
Earlier, chief government spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said that "If Karno Sairin can help, we have no objection .... We want to solve this crisis in any manner. We are agreeing if the Malaysian government has no objection."
"We will do everything we can to save these innocent victims," Tiglao said. "We would like to ask the Abu Sayyaf to have pity on these innocent people."
Officials stressed the negotiations would only be for the unconditional release of the hostages and not involve ransom.
Manila stressed military operations against the kidnappers would continue.
"We will go for the main body, we attack Shaquille O'Neal and not the little players," Golez said, referring to the US professional basketball giant.
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