PHILIPPINES: MOSLEM REBELS RELEASE GERMAN MAGAZINE REPORTER AFTER 25-DAY ABDUCTION.
Record ID:
646919
PHILIPPINES: MOSLEM REBELS RELEASE GERMAN MAGAZINE REPORTER AFTER 25-DAY ABDUCTION.
- Title: PHILIPPINES: MOSLEM REBELS RELEASE GERMAN MAGAZINE REPORTER AFTER 25-DAY ABDUCTION.
- Date: 27th July 2000
- Summary: JOLO, PHILIPPINES (JULY 27, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MV/PAN: DER SPEIGEL JOURNALIST AND RELEASED HOSTAGE ANDREAS LORENZ ON TARMAC SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS 0.11 2. SOUNDBITE (English) ANDREAS LORENZ SAYING "It's good to be out, I want to say I am very happy to be out. I am very thankful for all who helped me, especially the journalists, I heard they had a petition for me to be released. Thank you very much, and I hope the other hostages will be out as soon as possible." 0.34 3. SV: LORENZ WALKS TOWARDS PLANE 0.45 4. CU: REPORTERS ASKING LORENZ QUESTIONS/ SOUNDBITE (English) LORENZ SAYING"No, no, I was completely alone" 1.04 5. GV: PLANE ON TARMAC 1.09 6. GV/CU: SOLDIERS/ SOLDIER HOLDING WEAPON (2 SHOTS) 1.19 7. CU/ZOOM/MV: LORENZ INSIDE PLANE 1.33 8. MCU: SOUNDBITE (English) SAKUR TAN, GOVERNOR OF SULU SAYING: "I would be happier if all of the hostages would be released, I will have less trouble" 1.52 ZAMBOANGA, PHILIPPINES (JULY 27, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 9. MV: LORENZ WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR TO HOSTAGE NEGOTIATING PANEL ROBERT AVENTAJADO AND GOVERNOR TAN, THE THREE SHAKE HANDS. 2.11 10. CU: SOUNDBITE (English) LORENZ SAYING "No I hadn't seen any hostages," (reporters asks why he was freed whilst Malaysian hostages weren't) "I haven't the slightest idea, no" (German) reporter asks what were the circumstances of Lorenz's release) (German) LORENZ "I feel very well. The circumstances (of my release)were very hasty. I was meant to be released this evening and then they obviously decided to release me earlier. We jogged through the forest to a road, where I was handed over to a mediator." 3.14 11. MV/PAN: LORENZ WALKING TO PLANE SURROUNDED BY REPORTERS, GETS ON PLANE 3.31 12. CU/PAN: LORENZ'S WIFE JUTTE WALKING ONTO PLANE 3.46 13. GV: PLANE ON RUNWAY WITH REPORTERS MILLING AROUND 3.53 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 11th August 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JOLO AND ZAMBOANGA, PHILIPPINES
- Country: Philippines
- Reuters ID: LVA2F0QBA5L5HG5YALPEBH9H731Y
- Story Text: Moslem rebels have freed a German magazine reporter in
the southern Philippines, 25 days after abducting him while he
was covering a hostage saga.
The Bangkok-based reporter for Der Spiegel was escorted
by local officials to a waiting private plane at Jolo airport
on Thursday (July 27) to be flown to the nearby city of
Zamboanga, prior to flying to Manila.
"I am very happy to be out," Andreas Lorenz told reporters.
"I thank all the people who helped me to get out."
Lorenz was seized by four gunmen on July 2 while covering
a long-running hostage drama involving the abduction in April
of 21 mostly foreign hostages by the fundamentalist Abu Sayyaf
rebels from a Malaysian diving resort.
He was the 11th hostage freed by the rebels in recent
weeks.
Lorenz said at a news conference in Zamboanga his release
was brought forward.
"The circumstances (of my release) were very hasty, I was
meant to be released this evening and then they obviously
decided to release me earlier, we jogged through the forest to
a road and there I was handed over to a mediator", he said.
The Abu Sayyaf, fighting for an Islamic state in the south
of the mainly Catholic Philippines, earlier released six
Malaysians and a German housewife from the group abducted in
Malaysia.
Three Filipinos seized on Basilan island, near Jolo,
months ago have also been released.
Of the group kidnapped in Malaysia, the rebels are holding
three Malaysians, two Germans, three French nationals
including a Lebanon-born woman who was given French
citizenship while in custody, two Finns, two South Africans
and two Filipinos.
Lorenz was among 19 people seized in recent weeks by the
Abu Sayyaf around Jolo.
The others are a three-member French television crew, two
Manila television journalists and 13 Filipino evangelists who
had gone to the rebel lair to pray for the hostages.
A Libyan envoy negotiating with the rebels for the release
of Westerners taken in Malaysia said on Thursday a deal was
close.
Rajab Azzarouq, a former Libyan ambassador to the
Philippines, is a member of Manila's negotiating panel which
also includes local Moslem leaders and is headed by
presidential adviser Robert Aventajado.
Azzarouq, who represents the Gadaffi Charitable Foundation
headed by the son of Libyan leader Colonel Gadaffi, told
Reuters other intermediaries were negotiating for the release
of the Malaysian and Filipino hostages, but he was optimistic
for a deal with the rebels on the Westerners.
However, he later said completing an agreement could be
delayed until parallel negotiations over the release of the
three Malaysians and two Filipino hostages are finalised.
Others involved in the negotiations have said the rebels
are demanding 1 million U.S. dollars (USD) for each of the
white hostages and 15 million pesos (334,000 USD) for each of
the Malaysians and the Filipinos.
Aventajado and the other governments whose nationals are
involved in the saga have repeatedly denied any ransom has
been or will be paid.
Malaysia has said it is willing to finance social projects
in the southern Philippines in exchange for the release of
hostages. Both Manila and Kuala Lumpur have stressed no money
will be handed over to the rebels.
But no kidnapping in the southern Philippine islands, a
lawless area rife with abductions, banditry and insurgency,
has been resolved without ransom or the use of force.
Residents on Jolo have said markets in the main town have
been flush with high currency notes since releases of the
hostages began earlier this month.
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