The extremist group, whose name means "Bearer of the Sword", fights an almost 400 year old battle for Muslim power in the largely Catholic Philippines. The holiday divers and hotel workers, kidnapped from the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan and taken to the jungles of Jolo, now serve as pawns in a war that most of the world didn't even know about -- until now. Behind the religious façade of Abu Sayyaf lies a demand for $20,000 in cold hard cash. "They will see the Jihad we are talking about!" proclaims their leader, menacingly named Commander Robot. But the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a stronger extremist group, rejects Abu Sayyaf. Their only goal is Muslim independence for their people, the majority of whom support them. The government has launched a violent offensive to 'scare' locals from supporting them. "I do not think I am fighting Filipinos. I'm protecting the people from terrorists", says Lt. Colonel Gustavo Atencia. More than half a million people have now been forced into conditions of squalor, and many civilians have died. A chilling piece that will leave you wondering if compromise can be achieved in the Philippines.

Produced by ABC Australia