Troops have found no trace of three Filipinos reported to have been freed by Moslem rebels from a group of more than 20 captives in the southern Philippines, the military said on today.
"We have contacted our units in Basilan but they have not been able to confirm the report about the three hostages having been released," a military spokesman said.
The Abu Sayyaf rebels have held three Americans and more than 20 Filipinos for weeks in the jungles of Basilan, a guerrilla stronghold 560 miles south of Manila.
The rebels have said they had killed one of the Americans but there has been no independent confirmation of the claim.
An intermediary in contact with the guerrillas said he was told by a spokesman for the group on Friday that they had released three Filipinos, but the intermediary said it might take the trio 48 hours to reach safety because they would have to trek through mountainous terrain.
The intermediary, who described himself as an independent negotiator, called Reuterstoday and said rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya had contacted againhim to say the trio might be having difficulty finding their way through the jungle.
The guerrillas snatched three Americans, including a missionary couple, and 17 Filipinos from a tourist resort on Palawan island on May 27 and took them to Basilan.
Eleven of them have escaped or have been freed - reportedly after payment of ransom -while two others, both Filipinos, have been found dead, apparently executed by their captors.