Philippine army rejects call for negotiations to free hostages who appear in new video held by men with guns and machetes

The Philippine army has rejected demands by Islamist militants to start negotiations for the release of three abducted foreign tourists and a Filipino woman and halt an offensive on a remote southern island.

Two Canadians, a Norwegian and the Filipino, who were taken hostage at a resort on Samal island on September 21, have appealed by video to Philippine authorities to stop military operations on the island of Jolo, to the west of Samal, and to Canada to help negotiate for their freedom.

There has been speculation the four had been taken hundreds of miles west to Jolo, a stronghold of Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent Islamist militant group, known for bomb attacks, kidnappings and beheadings in the southern Philippines.

"There is no negotiation that can be made with any of those who are perpetrating this crime," military spokesman Colonel Restituto Padilla said. "We cannot, as of the matter, discuss operational details, but we can assure you the safety of the hostages is always foremost in our minds."

The army commander on Jolo island, General Alan Arrojado, said the military would not stop operations against the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf because there was no proof the hostages were in that area. "It may be a mock up scenario, it could be taken elsewhere and made it appear to be on Jolo to stop our operations," he said about the video appeal of the hostages. Asked about the video, a Canadian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the government was "pursuing all appropriate channels" to seek further information.

Armed men with covered faces were seen in the video standing behind the four hostages who made appeals to halt army offensives and to negotiate for their release. All of them were shown to be sitting in a jungle while the militants with covered faces held rifles and machetes and shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest in Arabic).