Military

DATE=06/07/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-290649

TITLE=PHILIPPINES/HOSTAGE (L)

BYLINE=KARA MAGSANOC-ALIKPALA

DATELINE=MANILA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: American missionary Martin Burnham is dead and his wife Gracia hospitalized after a rescue attempt by the Philippine military. Philippine nurse Edeborah Yap also died in the fighting in the southern Philippines. The Philippine soldiers continue to pursue the kidnappers. Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala in Manila has the details.

TEXT: The Philippine military clashed with the Abu Sayyaf Friday afternoon in the mountains of Zamboanga del Norte. General Narciso Abaya, deputy chief of the Philippine military, explains what happened.

/// GEN. ABAYA ACT ///

There was a firefight, several minutes of firefight, then after the firefight, we recovered the victims, the kidnap victims. Martin Burnham was already dead (by) gunshot wound. Gracia Burnham was wounded in the leg with gunshot wound.

/// END ACT ///

Mrs. Burnham is in stable condition in a military hospital. Fellow hostage Ediborah Yap also died in the encounter. General Abaya says he does not yet know whether the hostages were shot by the Abu Sayyaf or caught in the crossfire.

/// OPT ///

Philippine troops had been monitoring the rebels for several days. For months, it had been thought that the hostages were on the nearby island of Basilan, an Abu Sayyaf stronghold.

/// END OPT ///

Since February, about one-thousand U-S troops have been training with Philippine soldiers to combat terrorist groups, such as the Abu Sayyaf. The U-S role has been limited to training, and Americans are not supposed to go into combat zones.

Colonel Danilo Servando, a Philippine military spokesman, says the U-S troops played a supporting role Friday.

/// COL. SERVANDO ACT // OPT ACT ///

Basically, the role of the Americans was to support the exercise. We requested for the use of their helicopters in the medivac (medical evacuation) requirement, because Philippine Air Force helicopters are not capable of flying during night.

/// END ACT // END OPT ///

/// OPT /// Seven Philippine soldiers were wounded in the clash. Four Abu Sayyaf were reported killed /// END OPT ///

The Abu Sayyaf kidnapped the Burnhams and 18 others on May 27th last year from an island resort. The Burnhams were celebrating their wedding anniversary at the time.

Both the Philippine and U-S governments maintain no-ransom policies, but Philippine military efforts to free the hostages failed. Some hostages escaped, or were freed after they managed to pay ransom. Several were killed, including another American, Guillermo Sobero.

The Abu Sayyaf claim to be fighting for a Muslim nation in the southern Philippines, and they have been vaguely linked to the al Qaida terrorist network. They have become best known for kidnapping dozens of people for ransom. (Signed)

NEB/HK/KMA/KPD/TW