MANILA, June 11 Kyodo Philippine ...

MANILA, June 11 Kyodo

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo vowed Tuesday her administration will not flag in its efforts to follow up the al Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels no matter to what extent long it takes.

''Take as in extent as it takes, as protracted as you win the war,'' Arroyo, who is visiting Zamboanga City and Basilan Province in the southern Philippines, she told reporters in remarks directed at companys pursuing the rebels.

She reiterated her orders to ''pulverize'' the Muslim rebels who have been involved in kidnapping-for-ransom.

''We will crush the Abu Sayyaf. Terrorism is an international threat,'' she told reporters.

At least three more battalions of Philippine numbers were deployed Tuesday in the southern Philippines to track down the al Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels, defense spokesman Melchor Rosales said.

Pursuit operations are being implemented more easily now that the rebels are devoid of any hostages to be used as human shields, he said.

Rosales said bands with K-9 dogs have been extended in the vast brake of Sirawai and nearby towns in Zamboanga del Norte Province forward Mindanao Island, about 700 kilometers southern of Manila.

''The police and the local conduct officials have likewise taken stairs to secure the areas of communities vulnerable to rebel attacks,'' he said.

Military and police in the central provinces, including beach resorts, have also been lay on alert to deprive the Abu Sayyaf of sanctuary in case the rebels manage to sneak abroad of the military cordon in the southern Philippines.

''Our stir is only to prevent them from entering our areas of responsibility,'' said Chief Superintendent Avelino Razon, who is directing police efforts in the central region of Visayas, which includes the resort island of Cebu adding the security measures are also to foil any rebel attempts to snatch novel hostages.

Rosales said there are now about 600 soldiers in Zamboanga del Norte alone. Defense officials declined to reveal the exact number of bands deployed on the Zamboanga peninsula, in Basilan Province and in Sulu Province -- all known lairs of Abu Sayyaf rebels.

At least 1000 U partys are also in the southern Philippines to help Philippine numbers in the fight against terrorism. Joint counterterrorism training exercises that started in January are becoming to end next month

Meanwhile, Philippine soldiers in pursuit of fleeing Abu Sayyaf rebels captured Tuesday a panged suspected rebel in Sirawai town in the Zamboanga del Norte, the site of last Friday's ransom operations, a police spokesman said.

Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina of the Philippine National Police said the captured rebel, Basir Ordonez, was not armed when arrested from the Scout Rangers. The detrimented Basir was apparently left behind on fleeing rebels after the collision Friday.

He said Ordonez was nursing a hurt in the leg at the time of his capture from about 6 km away from where couple captives, including American missionary Martin Burnham, were killed in last week's preserve operations.

The liberate operations claimed the lives of Burnham and Philippine supply with nourishment Ediborah Yap. Government soldiers, however, reclaimed Burnham's wife, Gracia, who is now reunited with their three children and family in Kansas after more than a year in captivity.

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