April 10, 2000, The Philippine Star, Vigilantes threaten to rescue Sayyaf hostages, by Roel Pareño,

April 10, 2000, The Philippine Star, Vigilantes threaten to rescue Sayyaf hostages, by Roel Pareño,

ISABELA, Basilan - "Humanda na lang sila (They better get ready)."

The vigilante group headed by Abdul Mijal issued this threat to the Abu Sayyaf which, it said, reneged on its promise to swap 15 of its 33 hostages with the wife and daughter of its leader Khadafy Janjalani whom the group released last Thursday.

"Hindi nila tinupad ang kasunduan (They didn't comply with the agreement)," said Mijal's emissary. The group still holds nine members of Janjalani's family hostage.

The vigilante group said they know where the lair of the Abu Sayyaf is and that they can rescue Claretian priest Fr. Roel Gallardo and 30 others, mostly children, whom the extremist rebels are holding.

Basilan Archbishop Romulo de la Cruz also chided the Abu Sayyaf for having no word of honor.

"We just hope they will keep their word. Siguro ang media ang magsabi na wala silang word of honor (Perhaps, the media should tell them that they don't have word of honor)," the bishop said.

De la Cruz said even Janja-lani's father-in-law Hussein Manatad, who was tapped to help in the negotiations, is getting discouraged in talking with the Abu Sayyaf again because of the group's failure to release more hostages as agreed upon.

But the Abu Sayyaf appears firm in not swapping more hostages, citing the government's failure to seek the release of all of Janjalani's kidnapped family members.

"They earlier promised to Rep. Gerry Salapuddin, but they failed. Now they also did not release all the relatives of Janjalani," Asmad Salayuddi of the Abu Sayyaf said.

Mijal's group released Jan-jalani's eight months pregnant wife Sherma and one-year-old child Kasam to the crisis management committee last Thursday.

The two children freed by the Abu Sayyaf, Von Adolf Cejaldo, 11, and Juliet Tonghay, 8, said they pity the condition of Fr. Gallardo who, they said, is locked up in a separate cottage.