Bittersweet

When Filipino Muslim guerrillas decided to free Werner Wallert and four other Western hostages last Sunday from a southern Philippine jungle last Sunday, it took sometime for the elderly German geography teacher to leave the rebel camp. The reason: he was leaving a son, who was also a captive. Emissaries sent by the government to bring the hostages out of captivity have to pull away Wallert from his son, Marc.

Everyone who was freed that day was leaving a loved one or a friend behind in a wrenching, bittersweet scene. French woman Sonia Wendling left a boyfriend, Stephane Loisy; South African Monique Strydom left her husband, Carel; French journalist Maryse Burgot left two fellow French journalists. A Lebanese-French woman, Marie Michel Moarbes, who also was freed, left her boyfriend, Marc.
But it was specially tragic for the Wallerts.
Werner was kidnapped with his wife, Renate, and son Marc along with 18 other mostly Western vacationers from a Malaysian dive resort on April 23. Mrs. Wallert, who was ill all along during their jungle captivity, was freed first by the rebels on July 17 –– their 34th wedding anniversary. She is now at home waiting for her freed husband and hopefully, Marc.

Strydom’s husband, Carel, was freed alone Monday to join the five hostages released the day before. When Carel alighted from a jet with government negotiators, Monique darted across the tarmac at the Cebu air base and embraced him tightly, while a military brass band played and spectators loudly applauded. “This is the best day of my life,” said Carel.

When the hostages were interviewed by reporters, they were one in saying that it was not over yet for all of them –– and appealed for the release of the remaining hostages. “It’s not finished yet for us,” said Moarbes, wiping away her tears.

Wendling was specially worried over her boyfriend, Stephane, who has shown sign of distress while in captivity. Stephane, according to her, once tried to hurt himself, driving her to tears. She pleaded to him not to do it for her.

Yet, the ecstasy of walking away from a nightmare was evident. After they were released, the six hostages were flown to Zamboanga, where they boarded a C-130 Philippine air force plane to the central province of Cebu. During the one-hour flight aboard the air force cargo plane, the hostages ignored the bumps and dips of the flight and talked animatedly with their ambassadors and relatives. It was as if they were not flying in a plane. Some were huddled and continuously narrated their first stories to their loved ones. Others stood up and posed for pictures. Some delightfully ate the pizza and cheeseburgers that was served to them, their first meal in freedom. Later, they turned to the stacks of letters coming from home and started to read. The women embraced each other and giggled and laughed.

One, Marie Michel Moarbes, clutched a small, brown teddy bear given by her father. All around the plane, elegant suitcases brought by diplomats merged with the muddied rice sacks brought by the hostages containing meager belongings from the jungle and items to remind them of their jungle ordeal.

Werner Wallert brought a long native knife slung on his waist . Wendling brought a hammock and her spoiled clothes from captivity. Moarbes still wore black plastic boots she used to ward off mud in the rebels’ hinterland camp.

On television, the hostages would alternately beam then break into tears, rejoicing their freedom, then grieving for those who were left behind.

Philippine negotiators say the other captives are expected to be freed later this week or next week in a grand ending to a hostage crisis that has riveted much of the world in the last four months.