Philippines moves troops to save hostages

The Philippines has agreed to move troops from a southern jungle area in a bid to save three kidnapped Red Cross workers threatened with beheading, an official said on Saturday.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said the troop withdrawal demanded by the kidnappers should be completed within 36 hours, clearing the path for one of the three International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC staff to be freed.

Puno said about 600 to 800 police and pro-government militiamen who have cordoned off the jungle area where the hostages are believed to be would pull back to allow the kidnappers to release them.

"We have decided to remove the portion of the cordon surrounding them," he told reporters in the southern city of Zamboanga, adding that the pull-out would begin later on Saturday.

"I think we are more than bending over backwards in order that the kidnappers will not feel threatened."

"This is a very, very dramatic and important concession being made by the government," he said. "This is a very difficult step for us to take."

Members of the Al Qaeda-linked Islamic militant group the Abu Sayyaf seized Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba, Swiss national Andreas Notter and Italian Eugenio Vagni on the southern island of Jolo on January 15.

Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad has threatened to behead one of them unless the military withdraws from the area by Monday, but said one would go free if the demand was met.

Puno said Jolo's governor Abdusakur Tan spoke to Parad to inform of the decision, and the rebel leader responded by saying he knew exactly how many policemen were in the area and he would be closely watching.

Saturday's announcement represents a major turnaround for the government, coming just a day after Puno himself declared there was "no possibility" it would give in to the rebels' demands.

Hours later, the head of the ICRC issued a rare public appeal for the gunmen to unconditionally free the hostages.

The aid organisation rarely speaks out on political issues for fear of jeopardising its neutrality.

"I am asking for their safe, unconditional and immediate release," the head of the ICRC Jakob Kellenberger said in a statement late on Friday.

"It is impossible to understand what the kidnappers could possibly achieve by hurting them."

On Friday, local television station ABS-CBN television broadcast fresh footage of the hostages looking haggard. It was not clear when the images were filmed, but the broadcaster said it was proof that the three remained alive.

Puno said on Saturday the police officers would return to barracks some 15 kilometres 10 miles away from the jungle area, while the Marines had already been repositioned. He said this would also create "an area of non-aggression that is about 120 to 140 square kilometres."

"We are also asking them the kidnappers to comply with their earlier promise as a sign of good faith," he said.

It is blamed for the country's worst terrorist attacks, and is believed to have established links with the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah JI group. The group has been known to behead its captives.



Kasahara