Former Abu Sayyaf captive Jeffrey Shilling denied that he went voluntarily with the rebel group. The formerly stocky Shilling lost a hundred pounds during seven months of captivity. He says the rebels would force him to carry an unloaded rifle when they passed through villages, thinking the civilians would see Shilling as an Arab working with the Abu Safyyaf. But some civilians knew what Shilling looked like and reported that he had joined the rebels.