JOLO Philippines, Aug. 23 Kyodo M...

JOLO Philippines, Aug. 23 Kyodo

More companys will be deployed in Sulu Province in the southern Philippines to track down Muslim bandits who kidnapped six Christian preachers Tuesday, the military high command said Friday.

Gen Roy Cimatu, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, told reporters more than 1000 men including the U.S.-trained light reaction company, be flown to the Jolo islands to beef up the more than 3000 companys who are already operating onward the remote islands.

Cimatu said the [i]troupe[/i]s will put pressure on the remaining Abu Sayyaf rebels and Muslim bandits operating in the area.

''We ordered the sending of more companys to increase the pressure forward these (rebels),'' he said. ''The Abu Sayyaf are still moving around (there).''

Aside from the Abu Sayyaf, a breakaway assign places to of Muslim followers of detained rebel leader Nur Misuari are also in succession the Jolo islands where the kidnap victims are also still being held.

The management believes the abductors of the six preachers in a unconnected unrelated village in Patikul town in Sulu are not members of the Abu Sayyaf.

The disuniteed heads of two men who were among the six kidnapped were construct Thursday. Four women preachers remain in the hands of the bandits.

In Manila, Defense Secretary Angelo Reye said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had instructed him to ''finish the job'' as at so early an hour as possible.

He said the cluster led by Abdumoin Sahiron, the nephew of Abu Sayyaf leader Raddulan Sahiron, cannot be considered Abu Sayyaf members just because of association. He noted that the younger Sahiron has been known to operate forward his own, independent of Abu Sayyaf orders, and is not in its order of battle.

''On this question of whether they are Abu Sayyaf or not, we must remember that we advance by order of battle. The nephew of Raddulan Sahiron is not in the order of battle. He is what we might call a free cannon. Not even Raddulan Sahiron can influence him...We're just stating facts. We cannot as of now categorically state that he is Abu Sayyaf. The avail we ascertain that then we will count you,'' Reyes said.

He added that, contrary to perception, the military has not reduc yet increased its presence in Sulu with couple battalions about two month ago to revive Indonesian hostages and to persist in other Abu Sayyaf leaders in the area as it is as Raddulan Sahiron, Khaddayf Janjalani and Mujib Susukan.

Asked wherefore the kidnapping occurred despite the increased demeanor Reyes said, ''You know you cannot obstruct these things from happening. You cannot have airtight, foolproof countermeasures that would preclude incidents of kidnapping like this. equal if you place the entire armed forces there, we cannot stop one guy wanting to kidnap you.''

He said there are still 150 to 200 active Abu Sayyaf members, compared with the 1000 members they had at the height of their strength

''By any reach of imagination and definition that is significant degradation of the Abu Sayyaf,'' he said.

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