Ex-Hostages in Philippines Find Freedom Bittersweet

Five foreign hostages released by Muslim rebels walked into freedom Sunday looking stunned, some in tears and leaving family members still captive in the jungle on a remote Philippine island. A sixth was released today.

“I’m over the moon” with happiness, said the sixth hostage, South African Callie Strydom, who had been held since April. “It’s a different world out here.”

The Abu Sayyaf separatist guerrillas released the four women and two men after Libya agreed to pay $1 million for each, negotiators said. The rebels were still holding six Westerners and 12 Filipinos.

Libyan Ambassador Saleem Adam dismissed allegations that his country was trying to improve its international image by bankrolling the ransom. “This is a humanitarian mission,” he said. “It has no other motivation.”

Freedom was bittersweet for the former hostages, who were met by their ambassadors in the port city of Zamboanga, not far from Jolo, the southern Philippine island where they were held.

“We’re not happy because there are people left behind,” French citizen Marie Moarbes said.

The others freed were Sonia Wendling of France; South African Monique Strydom, Callie’s wife; Werner Wallert of Germany; and Maryse Burgot, a French journalist.

“My son is still there. You don’t expect me to be happy,” Wallert said.

An envoy said Wallert and his son, Marc, cried and embraced for a long time before parting. Wallert’s wife, Renate, was freed last month.

Wendling, rubbing her eyes in apparent disbelief, said she could never forget her ordeal.

The mood was much more upbeat later on a cargo plane that ferried the released hostages to the Philippine city of Cebu, where they spent the night awaiting the release of Callie Strydom.

All but the journalist were kidnapped April 23 from a Malaysian resort. Burgot and two other French TV journalists were seized last month when they visited the rebels.