MANILA, Philippines -- Kansas missionary Gracia Burnham, who lost her husband and a year of her life as a hostage in the Philippine jungle, left for the United States on Monday saying the Islamic rebels who kidnapped them "should be treated as common criminals."
"During our ordeal, we were repeatedly lied to by the Abu Sayyaf, and they are not men of honor," she told reporters at the Manila airport. "We support all efforts of the government in bringing these men to justice."
Burnham and her husband, Martin, were kidnapped more than a year ago by the rebel group. He was killed Friday and she was shot in the leg during a rescue attempt by the Philippine army that went awry. Hostage Deborah Yap, a Philippine nurse, also died.
Burnham, sitting in a wheelchair with a thigh wound, appeared calm, but her voice trembled at times as she read a statement.
"We especially want to thank the military men, the Americans, the Filipinos who risked and even gave their lives to rescue us," she said. "Part of my heart will always stay with the Filipino people."
With the death of Martin Burnham and Yap, the Philippine government has sworn to hunt down and destroy the ruthless Abu Sayyaf gang, which has kidnapped dozens of people--some for ransom--in the southern Philippines. As members of the extremist Islamic group have repeatedly proved, eradicating them from the rugged islands where they enjoy popular support is no easy matter.
Since January, the United States has deployed more than 1,000 troops to the region to train and assist the Philippine army. Last month, the U.S. offered a $5 million reward for the capture of Abu Sayyaf leaders. Also, the Pentagon has provided military equipment and used high-tech surveillance methods to track the rebels' movements.
Yet even with U.S. military help, the Philippine army is no closer to crushing the Abu Sayyaf than it has been since the group was formed a decade ago.
On Sunday, Philippine troops were pursuing 50 members of the group through the dense jungle of Mindanao Island, but no sightings or clashes have been reported since the shootout Friday. Officials said the rebels had split up into small bands and escaped into the dense jungle.
Officers had said the two hostages were executed by the rebels. But Gracia Burnham told relatives that they were caught in the crossfire during the battle.
Philippine soldiers had been trying to rescue the Burnhams and Yap since they were kidnapped more than a year ago. Critics questioned Sunday whether the $5 million reward for the Abu Sayyaf's leaders had caused the soldiers to become trigger-happy.
While some officials have accused the army of botching the rescue attempt, others said it was an accomplishment simply for the army rangers to get close enough to shoot.
"We look at this as a big success, a big breakthrough notwithstanding the loss of two hostages," said Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez. "The goal is to search for them and engage them. We believe in the principle `Dare to win.'
Burnham expressed no bitterness toward the soldiers, and U.S. officials say they blame the rebels for the hostages' deaths.
"It is clear to us Martin was killed by the Abu Sayyaf," U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone said at the airport. "They are criminally culpable. There is no ambiguity."
By Richard C. Paddock. Special to the Tribune. Richard C. Paddock is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, a Tribune newspaper