March 7, 2002, The Philippine Star, Abu Sayyaf hostages sighted, Basilan town mayor says,

March 7, 2002, The Philippine Star, Abu Sayyaf hostages sighted, Basilan town mayor says,

Isabela City, Basilan: The last three hostages of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) that include an American missionary couple were spotted with their captors moving in a remote village of Maluso, the town's mayor disclosed today.

This came as a video footage was earlier shown on ANC television with American Martin Burnham delivering a message, stating the reasons why they were kidnapped by the Muslim extremists. The message pertains to the alleged global acts of atrocities against Muslims as justification for the abduction.

Maluso Mayor Sakib Salajin today said his informants confirmed to him the sighting of Martin Burnham with his wife, Gracia, and Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap since last week.

He said the hostages and the bandits are "just in the border of Sampinit Complex".

This was the latest sighting of the three captives since they were last spotted on 24 December by military troops in the jungles of Sampinit.