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Posted on 11/05/2001 1:10:38 PM PST by Pericles

Monday November 5, 1:35 PM

Philippine military presents "traumatized" ex-hostage

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines, Nov 5 (AFP) - Philippine troops on Monday presented to the public a "traumatized" woman who was forced to convert to Islam during the five months she was held hostage by Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.

Reina Malonzo, a nurse at a private hospital who was snatched in Basilan island on June 2, is suffering from "severe Stockholm Syndrome," a psychological condition in which hostages become sympathetic towards their captors, a senior military official here told AFP.

Officials would not say whether they obtained from her any information about the remaining hostages, who include American Christian missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham.

The rebels have murdered more than a dozen other captives, including American Guillermo Sobero.

Government troops recovered the young woman at an undisclosed location in the Zamboanga peninsula on the southern island of Mindanao on November 1, but only disclosed it four days later.

Premature disclosure could have "jeopardized the operations to rescue the other hostages," southern Philippines military commander Lieutenant General Roy Cimatu told a news conference.

He said the US couple and the other hostages "are still in Basilan at this moment. We have an operation to rescue the others."

He did not disclose the circumstances surrounding Malonzo's rescue, saying only that it was "part of the continuing operations against the Abu Sayyaf."

Malonzo, clad in a Muslim veil, sat beside Cimatu during the briefing and told the press she converted to Islam while in captivity.

"I don't have any plans of reverting to Christianity," she said, tears welling in her eyes.

"She is traumatized. I pitied Miss Malonzo the first time I saw her. She was so emotionally disturbed," Cimatu said.

The woman said the Burnhams "are okay" but did not say when she last saw them.

Military sources here said the Abu Sayyaf took Malonzo off Basilan sometime last month and hid her in the Zamboanga peninsula.

Cimatu also rejected local news reports that the Abu Sayyaf has taken custody of Giuseppe Pierantoni, an Italian priest abducted by a rogue Muslim guerrilla group last month.

"It is not accurate to say that Pierantoni is in Basilan," Cimatu said.

He said the priest was being held in the Lanao region of Mindanao.

Malonzo's rescue came a day after a group of US counter-terrorism experts wrapped up a visit to the military's southern command to help plot strategy against the Abu Sayyaf, a small group of self-styled Islamic fighters linked by Manila and Washington to suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Army chief Lieutenant General Jaime delos Santos said the US government has pledged to send additional "firepower equipment" to help the ill-equipped local armed forces crush the Abu Sayyaf.

The airforce was also hoping to get additional C-130 airplanes and helicopters, adding the US military assistance would be finalized during President Gloria Arroyo's visit to Washington later this month, delos Santos said.

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