The Philippines said today it had not found Muslim rebels or their 20 hostages seized from an island resort at the weekend but that it hoped for progress within the day.
"We hope that in the next few hours, or thereabouts, we will get more concrete information about these hostages," armed forces spokesman Brigadier-General Edilberto Adan said as the search for therebels and their captives entered the fourth day.
The Muslim extremist Abu Sayyaf group claimed responsibility for the kidnap of three Americans and 17 Filipinos from a tourist resort on Sunday and said it had taken the captives to hideouts on Jolo and Basilan islands, in the southern Philippines.
Yesterday, a rebel spokesman called a radio station and threatened to kill the hostages if the military launched an assault.
"There are more than 34 islands around Basilan, 37 around Jolo, and any of these islands may be used as sanctuaries by these kidnappers so we are looking for them there", Mr Adan told a news conference.
"It takes time, it takes manpower, it takes aircraft, ships, to verify this. That's why we are calling on all citizens to help the government, to help the military, to help the police in providing information."
President Ms Gloria Macapagal Arroyo discussed the hostage crisis with a visiting US congressman and US embassy officials but both sides declined to give details of the talks.