President Gloria Arroyo has vowed to wipe out the hostage-taking Abu Sayyaf Group, which is still holding three victims in the southern Philippines island of Basilan southern Philippines, in the next three months, a senior official said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is working on an "intensified level of help from the United States, but there will be no combat troops (from the U.S. since the assistance will) consist mostly of additional equipment and intelligence gathering," said Presidential spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao.

Arroyo rejected U.S. Congressman Todd Tiahrt's request to allow U.S. troops to join 5,000 Filipino soldiers on combat operations in the Basilan hinterland where the Abu Sayyaf Group has kept the three hostages – American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipina nurse, Deborah Yap.

Tiahrt declared that he was "satisfied" with the military's rescue operations, even if the soldiers failed to meet their self-imposed December 31 deadline.

Al Jacinto, Our Zamboanga Correspondent, adds: The authorities have decided to re-deploy a contingent of the Philippine Marines in Sulu, another Abu Sayyaf stronghold. It will pave the way for the entry of the U.S.-trained Philippine Army to continue the failed rescue operation in Basilan, sources said.

Within the next 48 hours, at least two companies of the Marines will pull out of Basilan. By the second week of January, the entire brigade of the Marines will be transferred to Sulu, a source from the southern command said.

The first two Marine companies to go are led by Lt. Col. Jun de Leon and Lt. Col. Armand Banez. Three Philippine army brigades composed mostly of Scout Ranger companies and the Light Reaction Unit trained by the U.S. Delta Force will replace the Marines. The Scout Rangers who are trained for jungle warfare will be given the upper hand in the rescue operations, the same source said.

"This was decided because nothing has happened to the rescue operation in Basilan," revealed a source. The source added that the plan is part of another strategy to end the Abu Sayyaf Group with the help of the U.S.-trained Philippine Army.

The redeployment of the Marines was decided after a "critique" of the rescue operations during a joint command conference last December 28 held in Basilan, the source said. "They (the Marines) have been given a chance to implement the rescue operations since the hostages are in their area of operation but nothing happened."