KARUNA SHINSHO, CNN ANCHOR: The Philippine army is pressing ahead with its search for Abu Sayyaf militants and their hostages. As Mike Chinoy reports, federal forces are stepping up their efforts after almost catching up with the guerrillas over the weekend.</s>MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the shell-shocked town of Lamitan in the southern Philippines, an uneasy calm. Amid the destruction after a weekend of fighting, new details about the plight of those held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf gunmen. Among the prisoners: three Americans, held in the same room with a local priest. "One of missionaries, she approached me," said father Rene Enrique. She said, "Father, we are missionaries." So I said we will pray together. After our prayer, all the other hostages asked for a blessing." The three Americans are among more than a dozen people still held by the kidnappers who have fled into the surrounding jungle. Amid continuing questions about how it let the gang escape, the Philippine army kept up the search on Basilan Island. They could be anywhere. But as of now, they are confined to the Lamitan
Philippine Federal Forces Stepping Up Attempts to Catch Up with Kidnappers