Manila asks UK to help rout rebels

The Philippine president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, will today formally ask Tony Blair for British help in her campaign against Islamist terrorists, according to her advisers.

As she lands in London for the meeting, 160 US special forces are due to arrive in the southern Philippines to help train and equip the local military in its fight against Abu Sayyaf rebels.

The extremist Islamic separatists have abducted dozens of people, including many foreigners, over the last few years and currently hold three hostages, a local nurse and an American missionary couple, Martin and Gracia Burnham. The latter began their ninth month in captivity yesterday.

Ms Arroyo's spokesman, Rigoberto Tiglao, confirmed yesterday that the Philippines would ask Scotland Yard for help in anti-terrorist police work and might well seek British military assistance.

It is believed that the Philippine defence minister, Angelo Reyes, discussed the possibility of anti-terrorist military cooperation during a visit to London last November.

Mr Tiglao refused to discuss what form any British assistance might take but did not discount the possibility of British experts conducting training exercises in the Philippines.

"That won't happen in the short term but could in the longer term," he said.

The American special forces due today form part of a deployment of about 660 US troops who have been arriving in the Philippines for exercises that will last up to a year.

There has been much speculation that the manoeuvres are just cover for the United States to set up a base in the region, which is home to the first major expansion by America of its war on terror outside Afghanistan.

This speculation is being fuelled by the exercises taking place on the Abu Sayyaf stronghold of Basilan, 550 miles south of Manila, where the Burnhams are being held. US forces will be on the frontline for the first time during these exercises, which use the rebel group as the enemy.

Philippine officials have stressed that the Americans will be operating under local commanders in an advisory capacity, and will be allowed to fire only in self-defence. There are about 5,000 Philippine soldiers in the area.

The commander of the taskforce hunting the Abu Sayyaf, Major-General Glicerio Sua, said yesterday that America's biggest contribution would be equipment and transfer of technology.

Washington is giving Manila 30,000 rifles, eight helicopters, a high-speed naval patrol vessel, hundreds of pairs of night-vision goggles and sophisticated communications and surveillance equipment. President George Bush has also promised Ms Arroyo $100m (£71m) to fight terrorism.

Gen Sua insisted, however, that his primary goal was not to crush the separatists. "Our pressing concern right now is the safe rescue of the hostages," he said.

"That's why we're being cautious with the Abu Sayyaf. If we wanted to eliminate them we could have just dropped bombs and fires on them."

Most Filipino soldiers are glad of the technical help but are being forced to swallow their pride.

"We cannot deny the fact that it's an insult for us," said Lieutenant Ramon Gurat, an elite Scout Ranger. "But we also need to accept the fact that we need their assistance."

The Scout Rangers, who are among the vanguard of the taskforce, are still hoping to free the hostages before the US troops join the frontline in a fortnight, in order to prevent their guests taking the glory.