Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya had ordered his subordinates to kill American missionary Martin Burnham if the Philippines soldiers came too close.

This was revealed by Adzmar Aluk, one of the arrested Abu Sayyaf members during a taped military interrogation in Philippines' southern command.

He said, "Sabaya ordered Martin's killing. He told my companions, guarding Martin, to shoot and kill him if the soldiers come near us. It was Ibno (Abu Lukman) who executed the hostage."

Quoting the Abu Sayyaf leader whom the military claims was killed in a shootout on Friday, Aluk said, "If the soldiers open fire and come close, you should kill Martin".

The military released a videotape of Aluk's confessions for the first time yesterday, which took place at the heavily guarded military base in Zamboanga City.

The videotape also showed the bound Aluk identifying Sabaya's things, and insisting Navy men killed Sabaya in the sea-battle off Zamboanga del Norte on June 17.

Major General Ernesto Carolina, Southern Command Chief confirmed it was Abu Lukman who killed Burnham.

He said Aluk's statement should end speculations on who killed Burnham. "We are convinced that the bullets that hit Martin and Ediborah Yap (the Filipina nurse) did not come from the muzzles of our guns." But Aluk did not say he saw how Burnham was killed.

Carolina said, "What we have learned from the interrogation is that Abu Lukman has killed Martin Burnham, and Lukman was killed by soldiers in the fire fight."

The military earlier said Lukman was Burnham's most likely hit man. Lukman was the one of the three Abu Sayyaf members killed in the fire fight in the jungles of Sirawai, Sibuco town on June 7. Burnham, an American missionary of the New Tribes Mission, and Yap, a nurse at the Jose Torres Memorial Hospital in Lamitan, Basilan, were killed in the June 7 rescue operation.

Many criticised the rescue operation as a botched job. Aluk, 22, his companions, including Sabaya tried to escape to Jolo, further south when they came up against the elite Philippines Navy men at high sea off Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte on June 17.

Carolina recalled, "Even before the encounter (on June 7), there was already a standing order to kill Martin, should there be a rescue attempt. Even in the earlier part of the hostage crisis, Martin was treated differently by Sabaya.

"They were harsh to him. They chained him and handcuffed him, maybe because he was the only male captive in the group. That was why we always considered Martin a high-risk hostage."

In addition to Aluk, another captured rebel Abdurakman Ismael, 27, said on video that Sabaya was killed. This further strengthened the military's claim that the June 17 clash resulted in Sabaya's demise.

"We were fleeing to Sulu when we saw the (Navy) patrol boat. Sabaya fired at the boat. The patrol retaliated, hitting him. I am sure that Sabaya was killed because the gunboat kept on firing at him even when he fell into the water," Ismael said. He was arrested with Aluk on June 17.

"I saw Sabaya fall into the sea after the Marine boat rammed our boat. He was shot at in the chest and the body and was wounded," Aluk said, adding Sabaya opened fire and triggered an exchange of bullets when the Navy gunboat rammed the fleeing vessel.

The military has not yet recovered Sabaya's body, to confirm his death.

Adds Our Manila Bureau Chief: The Burnham family earlier said an autopsy report had shown that Martin died from military bullets. This was followed by concerns raised by other Philippines observers that Burnham was unwittingly shot by the military during an assault of the Abu Sayyaf Group. Yap's brother David Pamaran earlier said the body of the slain nurse was bullet ridden.