Manila - The commander of Philippine troops battling Muslim militants holding captive three international Red Cross workers went on leave on Monday after a deal to free one of the hostages collapsed on the weekend.

Marine Major General Juancho Sabban was taking a two-week leave to attend an anti-terrorism conference in the United States starting on March 25, according to navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo.

"He is going to go on a speaking engagement about terrorism," Arevalo said. "This has been an invitation to him long ago that he has accepted."

Arevalo said Sabban's leave was not related to allegations by Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, that he scuttled efforts to free at least one of the hostages on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila.

Last week, Gordon reached an agreement with Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad to free one of the hostages - Swiss Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni or Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba - if government troops pulled back from Indanan town.

The agreement followed deadly clashes between Abu Sayyaf rebels and government troops that killed three Marines and six guerrillas. Nineteen soldiers and an undetermined number of rebels, including Parad, were also wounded.

Parad also threatened to behead one of the hostages if the military did not stop its offensive against the rebels.

Under the agreement between Gordon and Parad, which was approved by top military and government officials, the army would move out of Indanan at the same time that the Abu Sayyaf rebels were to release one of the hostages.

But Gordon said Sabban ordered troops to re-position too early, giving the Abu Sayyaf leverage to demand more and to eventually call off the deal.

The hostages were abducted on January 15 after visiting the Jolo provincial jail to oversee a water and sanitation project.

Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro lamented that tensions flared between Sabban and Gordon, but stressed that Philippine authorities must now move forward and resolve the two-month hostage crisis.

"Let's look forward to finding a good solution to the problem," he said. "We're just working very sincerely to try to get
(the hostages') release in cooperation with each other."

Presidential deputy spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo also urged all parties working for the release of the hostages to avoid bickering and instead coordinate with each other.

"The government has given its best effort since day once to rescue and recover the victims," she said. "We all want this to be resolved as quickly as possible but we have to act carefully so as not to compromise their safety."

The Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for some of the worst terrorist attacks and high-profile kidnappings in the Philippines. In the past, the rebels have beheaded hostages, including an American tourist in 2001, when the government refused to give in to their demands. (dpa)