Aquino demands militants hand over terrorist

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III on Friday gave a stern warning to those who are helping a high-profile terrorist target who managed to escape a police dragnet in the southern province of Maguindanao, saying the government "will run you over".

Aquino, in a televised message to the nation, told the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest Muslim rebel group in the country, to hand over Abdul Basit Usman, a member of the Abu Sayyaf Group, if he is in their territory, or "not to interfere" in the government's efforts to find him.

Usman escaped when police commandos from the Special Action Force raided his hideout and that of Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, the leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group, on Jan 25.