Fate of 2 European hostages in Tawi-Tawi 'uncertain'

From the Philippine Star (Oct 22): Fate of 2 European hostages in Tawi-Tawi 'uncertain'

The fate of the two hostage European wild bird watchers, who have been in captivity for nearly nine months now, remains uncertain amid intermittent negotiations for their release, a security official said. The security official, however, believed that the victims Dutchman Elwold Horn, 52, and Swiss Lorenzo Vinceguerre, 47, were being kept by gunmen in one of the areas in Tawi-Tawi. “The reports we have disclosed that they were being kept in Tawi-Tawi but it was unclear as to when the abductors would release their victims,” said the source who asked to be unnamed for lack of authority.... “Efforts have been on an off and it appeared huge ransom demand was delaying the release,” the source added but could not specify any amount.  Horn and Vinceguerre were on the last days of wild bird watching activity along with Filipino wildlife enthusiast Ivan Sarenas when they were abducted by five gunmen in Panglima Sugala last Feb. 1. Sarenas escaped hours on the same day after he jumped off and swam away from the gunmen’s motorboat that was taking them to an undisclosed place in Tawi-Tawi. The security official confirmed the victims were brought to Sulu by their captors for safekeeping but subsequently returned to Tawi-Tawi following their botched release sometime in June owing to the abduction of a Jordanian journalist Baker Abdullah Atyani and his two Filipino television crew members Romelito Vela and Rolando Letrico last June 13 while meeting with the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu. The fate of the Jordanian journalist and his companions also remains unknown.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=200&articleid=862224