No merry Christmas for US couple, priest

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Despite a Christmas Day deadline the military imposed on itself to free hostages held by extremist groups, an American missionary couple, an Italian Catholic priest and a Filipina nurse spent Christmas Day with kidnappers in Mindanao.

While Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu again claimed the military expected a "major breakthrough anytime now," there was still no word on the whereabouts of missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, Fr. Guiseppe Pierantoni and nurse Deborah Yap.

The Burnhams, originally from Wichita, Kansas before moving to the Philippines 16 years ago, were kidnapped along with 18 other people from the upscale Dos Palmas island resort in Palawan on May 27 and are being held by the Abu Sayyaf in the jungles of Basilan island.

Yap was seized on June 2 along with four co-workers from a hospital in Lamitan, Basilan, where the bandits supposedly released some of their hostages after the payment of millions of pesos in ransom.

Neither was there any word on the location of Pierantoni, 44, from Bologna, who was abducted from the convent of his parish in Dimataling, Zamboanga del Sur on Oct. 17.

Instead, Southcom spokesman Lt. Col. Danilo Servando announced that government forces searching for Pierantoni killed on Monday a member of the Pentagon kidnapping group and captured another in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat. There was no word on the fate of the priest.

While the four victims wait to be rescued from their abductors, a ranking Malacañang official could do no more than appeal to the kidnappers to heed the call of religious leaders.

"We hope that the Abu Sayyaf bandit group and the Pentagon group will heed the call of world religious leaders," said Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao.

Tiglao made the statement on the heels of reports that Pope John Paul II mentioned the hostages in his Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Square.

"We would like to assure the Pope that we are doing all we can," Tiglao said. "We have pinpointed the place (of hiding) but we cannot bomb them because of the hostages."

"There is an element of luck involved but the military campaign is very systematic," he added.

He said that if the present strategy does not work the Arroyo administration would put into motion a new strategy which involves "both military and something that would win their hearts and minds," but did not elaborate.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said the government is confident a "major breakthrough" would come up soon.

"It may be any day now. We just don’t know. But as we have seen, they rescued Canadian priest (Pierre) Belanger just like that. Baka bigla lang sumulpot na lang (It may just suddenly turn up)," Golez said before leaving for an official mission to the US.

Meanwhile, the military reported that elements of the 47th Infantry Battalion clashed with Pentagon gang members in Barangays Lomoyon and Mayo around dawn Monday.

The group was the same gang responsible for the kidnapping of Chinese engineer Zhang Zhung Quiang in June on the outskirts of Matalang town in Cotabato.

After a 50-minute firefight, the kidnappers fled leaving behind the body of an unidentified companion while another gang member, identified as Kabat Diangla, was captured.

Reports said the military recovered two rocket-propelled grenade rifles, three Garand rifles, fatigue uniforms, a handheld radio and ammunition.

UK ready to extend help

In a related development, a British government official said the United Kingdom is ready to provide the Philippines expertise and assistance in clamping down on terrorist activities in Western Mindanao.

"We are willing to provide some of the expertise and some of our experience that can help things move forward even just step by step," said UK Parliamentary Undersecretary Ben Bradshaw.

Bradshaw said London views the terrorist problem –the Abu Sayyaf –as important not only to Manila but to the Southeast Asian region as well.

"The problem will not be resolved overnight. It will take great energy, commitment and political courage. Great Britain is a great friend of the Philippines and it is ready to stand by and help you resolve that conflict," Bradshaw added.

He noted that "conflict and terrorism are not just confined in developing countries" and even developed nations like the UK have not yet been able to solve their terrorist problems.

The situation in southern Philippines, he said, requires a "mixture of military and political solutions" and the UK is awaiting a formal request from Manila for assistance in training military personnel.

The UK is the second nation to offer special training assistance to the military to deal with local terrorism.

The US has already sent military advisers from the US Special Forces to train their local counterparts in anti-terrorist operations, especially against the Abu Sayyaf which is believed to be linked to al-Qaeda network of suspected international terrorist Osama bin Laden.

The US State Department has included the Abu Sayyaf in its list of international terrorists.

The US also increased military aid to Manila and is in the process of transferring special military assets to the AFP, including patrol boats, military trucks, firearms, ammunition and military credit. - With reports from Marichu Villanueva, Paolo Romero, Pia Lee-Brago