MANILA, May 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Filipino hostage Ediborah Yap, who
has been kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf group for nearly one year,
became the wife of a leader of the group recently, the ABS-CBN
online news reported Friday.
   Information received by Colonel Alexander Aleo, commander of
the Philippine Army 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Basilan
indicated that after about 10 months of captivity, Yap has agreed
to become Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon's wife, the report
said.
   Yap, a nurse abducted from a hospital in Basilan on June 2,
2001, was the only Filipino hostage being held by the bandit group
together with American hostages Martin and Gracia Burnham.
   The Abu Sayyaf has released all other Filipino hostages but Yap
and let her take care of the Burnhams, according to earlier
reports.
   In March, an American businessman offered himself as hostage to
the Abu Sayyaf in exchange for Yap.
   The 44-year-old Oleg Zachary Kis said it's his Christian faith
that moved him to do so.
   However, the U.S. and Philippine authorities rejected Kis'
suggestion although he claimed he had no history of mental
illnesses and was aware of the risk he was facing, saying Kis "
will complicate the situation."
   The Burnhams were kidnapped by the bandits from a western
Philippine resort on May 27, 2001. Over 1,000 American troops are
in the southern Philippines training Philippine soldiers to hunt
the bandits.  Enditem