Ghalib Andang also known as Commander Robot, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf, who planned to surrender to help President Estrada at his trial, has decided against doing so. Andang, who kidnapped more than 40 people, mostly foreigners, in the southern Philippines from April to September this year, said he was afraid of an assassination plot mounted against him by the opposition.

He alleged that the opposition had hired a commando to shoot him. Oliver Lozano, a lawyer, quoted a letter from Jalkamain Matlih, the father of Andang's third wife and a former commander of the mainstream Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), to this effect.

When asked why the opposition should want to kill Andang, Lozano said: "The opposition does not want Andang to clear Estrada and Aventajado on the ransom sharing issue." Andang and 40 of his aides wanted to surrender to the authorities, Matlih said in his letter. The surrender was arranged at an undisclosed place in November, Matlih said, adding that Andang was to send an emissary to obtain the date of his surrender.

Once set, a helicopter would fetch Andang from Jolo to Zamboanga City airport where he would be taken by another chopper to the Malacanang, the presidential palace. Andang's sudden change of mind was surprising since he himself sent a letter to Aventajado clearing the latter of allegedly taking a cut of the ransom payment made by representatives of the Libyan, Malaysian, and European governments for the release of hostages.

In his letter, dated December 15, Andang said he wanted to surrender to clear Estrada and former government negotiator Roberto Aventajado who were accused in an article written by the Munich-based Der Spiegel of siphoning 40 per cent and 10 per cent respectively off the estimated $20 million ransom paid for the release of the hostages.

"There's no truth to the report of the German magazine and the Jesus Miracle Crusade (JMC) lied when it claimed that you have a share of the ransom," Andang said in his letter. "Only God knows the truth. If you really want to disprove the allegation against you by the German magazine and the JMC, send a voice tape from the Supreme Court so that I can be your witness against them," Andang added in his letter.