President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao admitted yesterday that Filipino soldiers still need more training in night operations.

He added that this does not mean that they are jeopardising ongoing efforts to rescue Abu Sayyaf hostages in southern Basilan.

Tiglao made the statement in reaction to reports that U.S. military officials are complaining that the campaign to rescue American couple Martin and Gracia Burnham are suffering setbacks because various military units want to play a lead role despite the lack of know-how.

Reports said the tight control of the Abu Sayyaf on the captives, the inexperience of the Philippine military in night time operations and the jockeying among the units complicate rescue operations instead of speeding up the campaign.

Officials in the U.S. also fear that conducting a joint Philippine-American commando raid might instead jeopardise the lives of the Burnhams and Filipino nurse Deborah Yap.

Tiglao said the Philippine government had been aware from the start that such a problem might occur which was why Southern Command Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu has been monitoring the exercises and operations closely.

He added that Cimatu has been in Basilan almost daily "to ensure that there is a unified command."

Tiglao added that Philippine troops do not totally lack night raid training but hope to improve capabilities, including the night commando operations, through the joint military exercise between local and American soldiers in Basilan.

Some 160 American troops are in Basilan to train local units in using new equipment against the Abu Sayyaf as well as to train their own soldiers in fighting in jungle conditions. He added that they expect to have a more "coherent and organised rescue" in the future as the joint military training exercises progress.