The governor of southern Basilan island yesterday said that Muslim separatist guerrillas holding an American couple had turned over their captives to the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebel group in an effort to evade pursing security forces.

Basilan governor Wahab Akbar said a certain MILF commander Amir Mingkong received P300,000 ($5,882) from Abu Sayyaf leader, Abu Sabaya, to guard the two Americans inside the MILF's Camp Musa in Biliwas district.

"They did this (turnover) so they can freely manoeuvre and evade pursuing government forces," Akbar, a former Moro rebel said.

The military however, refused to confirm the turnover but said that said that the American missionary couple, Martin and Gracia Burnham, were spotted inside an MILF camp in Tuburan town.

But this was based on intelligence reports. "At the moment, we are trying to verify this information," Col. Jose Leofojas, of the Southern Command in Zamboanga City said.

Fojas said the military had intensified intelligence efforts to locate the Burnhams.

Independent reports said government forces were closing in on the Abu Sayyaf group holding the U.S. missionary couple, two days after Washington had expressed concern over the inability of the Philippine military to rescue the hostages despite four months of extensive operations.

The couple were among the 20 people, mostly tourists, who were abducted by the Abu Sayyaf in western Palawan province last May 27.