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JOLO, Sulu (ABS-CBN) -- Joloanos, wanting to give information on the whereabouts of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits and their hostages, crowded the military camp in the provincial capital Wednesday, abs-cbnNews.com learned.

In a report from Jolo, ABS-CBN reporter Erwin Tulfo said letters have swamped military camps as well. The inquiries came from locals who wanted to provide the government information on the ASG as well as questions on how they could partake of the P100 million bounty set for the capture of the bandits' leaders and members.

Last Sunday, some 20 ASG men raided the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan and took with them three Americans and 17 Filipinos.

The Army's First Infantry Division commander Brig. Gen. Dominador Dominguez said most of the inquiries came from people living in areas where the ASG is suspected to be hiding.

Dominguez said that while he did not like the proposal of most locals to look for the bandits and kill them themselves, he said they were ready to take into their custody, dead or alive, ASG leaders and members who will be turned in.

The military has already released pictures of the bandit group's leaders and members in the island.

Some residents even reported that the military has recovered a speedboat that was supposedly used by the bandits in taking their hostages to the island from Palawan. The residents claimed they saw at least 70 bandits with an undetermined number of hostages.

Dominguez, however, denied the report.

"There are individuals who have sent feelers but we are still screening them. I see indications that these are just speculations, we dismiss such reports immediately," he said.

Security in Jolo has also been tightened with mediamen barred from leaving the town proper.

Don't pay ransom
The Department of Justice, meanwhile, warned families of the 17 Filipinos and three Americans abducted by the ASG against paying any ransom to the bandits.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez told the families that giving in to the demands of the ASG, which has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, would only boost its "capabilities."

"We informed them that it will not be good to pay ransom. We pointed out that the reason the Abu Sayyaf has excellent weapons and equipment is that they have the money to buy these weapons and equipment," Perez said.

"Paying ransom would only strengthen them [ASG] and increase their capability to conduct further raids in the northern areas of the Philippines," he added.

Perez met with some 30 relatives of the victims at the Civil Relations Service office in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. He was tasked to closely coordinate with the families of the victims and "assure them that the safety of the hostages is of paramount importance to the Arroyo government."

Aside from paying ransoms, Perez also warned the victims' families to "refrain from informing anyone as to the wealth of any of the hostages."

For security reasons, the justice chief declined to disclose to the relatives the exact location where the ASG is supposedly keeping its hostages. He stressed though that the military "may have an accurate information" on such.

"We also ask the cooperation of the members of the family not to engage in adventurism or to perform individual acts of trying to save the hostages," Perez said.

Asked to comment on the use of vigilantes by the government, he said he is personally not in favor of such, saying "it is an indication that our peace officers cannot do [the job] themselves."

"We would rather use the peace officers of our country. But of course, if the vigilantes are deputized to be peace officers, at least for that purpose, then they are, for all legal intents and purposes, considered as peace officers," he said.

President Arroyo the other day declared a news blackout on the ongoing offensive against the ASG and the rescue operations for the 20 tourists following threats that the hostages will be killed if military persists on attacking them.

The 17 Filipinos who are in the hands of the bandits were identified as Francis Ganzon, Teresa Ganzon, Reghis Romero, Janice Ting Go, Luis Bautista III, Lalaine Chua, Kimberly Jao, Letty Jao, Raul de Guzman Recio, RJ Recio, Angie Montealegre, Divine Montealegre, Mr. Riza Rodriguez Santos, Ma. Fe Rosadeno, Sonny Dacquero, Armando Bayona and Eldren Morales.

The three abducted Americans were identified as Martin Burnham, Gracia Burnham and Guillermo Sobero.