FRANCE/PHILIPPINES: FRENCH GOVERNMENT EXPRESSES DELIGHT THAT THE FRENCH HOSTAGES MANAGED TO ESCAPE THEIR CAPTORS IN JOLO
Record ID:
648665
FRANCE/PHILIPPINES: FRENCH GOVERNMENT EXPRESSES DELIGHT THAT THE FRENCH HOSTAGES MANAGED TO ESCAPE THEIR CAPTORS IN JOLO
- Title: FRANCE/PHILIPPINES: FRENCH GOVERNMENT EXPRESSES DELIGHT THAT THE FRENCH HOSTAGES MANAGED TO ESCAPE THEIR CAPTORS IN JOLO
- Date: 20th September 2000
- Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (SEPTEMBER 20, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. MV PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT JOSEPH ESTRADA WITH TWO FREED FRENCH HOSTAGES ARRIVING IN THE NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM (4 SHOTS) 0.27 2. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEAN-JACQUES LE GARREC , FREED FRENCH JOURNALIST, SAYING: " We spent the night hiding in the jungle in case they were looking around for us. This morning at 4:00 when it started raining, the noise of the rain gave us the opportunity to move without being heard. We walked until daytime with the feeling that we we were walking towards Jolo and expecting to meet the checkpoint. Actually since we didn't know exactly where we were, we were going away from Jolo. But in the daytime we hid again in the jungle along the road." 1.03 3. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 1.11 4. SV (SOUNDBITE) (English) ESTRADA SAYING: " After receiving the good news from our chief of staff, I immediately called up French President Jacques Chirac. I informed him and the French people that their two countrymen had been recovered and were now in the custody of the Philippine government. The response? President Chirac congratulated our military and expressed his deepest gratitude to our generals and government on the success of our efforts to free the two journalists." 1.48 5. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 1.52 6. SV (SOUNDBITE) (French) ROLAND MADURA, FREED FRENCH HOSTAGE, SAYING: "This morning we feel good. However in the four days that followed the military operation was happening we were scared. We were scared because we no longer represented anything, as hostages we were no longer useful, (we were) worthless. Even as human shields we were rather lightweight and we told ourselves that in the process of escaping we were likely to be hit by a stray bullet or something else. I have to admit that then we were really scared. We were scared for ourselves and also for our families. Four days without any news from us must have been terrible for them and those close to us." 2.37 7. VARIOUS OF ESTRADA SHAKING HANDS WITH MADURA AND LE GARREC 2.48 PARIS, FRANCE (20 SEPTEMBER 2000) (REUTERS) 8. EXTERIOR OF ELYSEE PALACE (FRENCH PRESIDENT'S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE) 2.52 9. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH EDUCATION MINISTER JACK LANG SAYING: "We are extremely happy about this great news. I was delighted to wake up to hear it this morning. I think we must also say that the two journalists have shown unbelievable psychological strength. Bravo to them and all those who have contributed to help them." 3.33 10. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) DEFENCE MINISTER ALAIN RICHARD SAYING: "We are very happy about it. We had told our Philippine partners that we were very concerned about the security of the hostages. I had asked my counterpart the Philippine Defence Minister to allow the French military attaché in the Philippines to take part in the work of their Army command, and I see that our two journalists have managed to escape, so for our hostages it has ended well." 4.13 11. VARIOUS FIRST MINISTER LIONEL JOSPIN AND FOREIGN MINISTER HUBERT VEDRINE LEAVING (2 SHOTS) 4.25 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th October 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: FRANCE/PHILIPPINES
- City:
- Country: Philippines France
- Reuters ID: LVAA8SV99VLDV773O63S9AIQI43Y
- Story Text: The French government has expressed its delight that
the French hostages have managed to escape their captors in
the Philippines.
Two French hostages taken on the island of Jolo were
found alive wandering in the hills of the remote southern
island on Wednesday (September 20, 2000). They say they
escaped their rebel captors under the cover of darkness and
spent the night in the jungle.
Jean-Jacques Le Garrec, 46, and Roland Madura, 49,
looked well but tense on Wednesday (September 20) as they
relived their ordeal before the press, sitting next to
President Estrada who has received a huge political boost from
their escape.
"We spent the night hiding in the jungle in case they
would be looking around for us. This morning at 4:00 when it
started raining, the noise of the rain gave us the opportunity
of moving ourselves without being heard," Le Garrec said. "We
walked until daytime having the feeling that we we were
walking towards Jolo and expecting to meet the checkpoint.
Actually since we didn't know exactly where we were, we were
going away from Jolo."
The two French journalists were found by the military
early on Wednesday (September 20, 2000) on a road in the
southwest of Jolo island, where the military has launched an
assault against the rebels.
They were two of three French journalists captured on
July 9 on Jolo by Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels. The other
journalist had already been freed.
Estrada said he was happy to have been the first to
announce the good news to the French President: "After
receiving the good news from our chief of staff, I immediately
called up French President Jacques Chirac. I informed him and
the French people that their two countrymen had been recovered
and were now in the custody of the Philippine government. The
response? President Chirac congratulated our military and
expressed his deepest gratitude to our generals and government
on the success of our efforts to free the two journalists."
Roland Madura underlined the fact that the hostages were
in constant danger on the island: "This morning we feel good.
However in the four days that followed the military operation
was happening we were scared. We were scared because we no
longer represented anything, as hostages we were no longer
useful, (we were) worthless. Even as human shields we were
rather lightweight and we told ourselves that in the process
of escaping we were likely to be hit by a stray bullet or
something else. I have to admit that then we were really
scared. We were scared for ourselves and also for our
families. Four days without any news from us must have been
terrible for them and those close to us."
French authorities on Wednesday (September 20, 2000)
thanked Philippine President Joseph Estrada for the freeing of
the two French television journalists.
The freeing of the hostages ended a looming
diplomatic crisis with Paris criticising Manila for launching
a huge military operation against the Abu Sayyaf rebels while
the two France-2 television journalists were still being held.
Members of the French cabinet at a meeting this morning
expressed their happiness at the news that the French hostages
had been freed. The education Minister Jack Lang said: "We
are extremely happy about this great news. I was delighted to
wake up to hear it this morning. I think we must also say that
the two journalists have shown unbelievable psychological
strength. Bravo to them and all those who have contributed to
help them."
Defence Minister Alain Richard also expressed relief
that the hostages had managed to escape: "We are very happy
about it. We had told our Philippine partners that we were
very concerned about the security of the hostages. I had asked
my counterpart the Philippine Defence Minister to allow the
French military attaché in the Philippines to take part in the
work of their Army command, and I see that our two journalists
have managed to escape, so for our hostages it has ended
well."
Despite the release of the French hostages the crisis is
not over with seventeen captives remaining on the island of
Jolo in a kidnapping which has dragged on for almost five
months and humiliated Estrada's administration.
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