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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine military said Monday it won’t revive negotiations for the release of an Oakland man being held hostage and instead plans to fight his captors until they “surrender or are wiped out.” 

An Islamic separatist group, Abu Sayyaf, is still holding American Jeffrey Schilling and Filipino Roland Ulla after releasing dozens of other hostages it had taken captive since April. 

“Negotiations with such openly terrorist groups only embolden them to commit more violence,” the defense department said in a statement. “The military operations against Abu Sayyaf will continue.” 

Negotiations with the rebels have been on hold since mid-September, when the military launched an offensive on the group on the southern islands of Jolo and Basilan. 

The defense department said it considers Schilling a hostage, but added that he “might in fact be in conspiracy with the Abu Sayyaf.” It said the government is investigating how he ended up in rebel custody. 

Schilling, 24, a Muslim convert, was seized by the Abu Sayyaf after he visited their camp with his Filipino wife in August. His wife, a cousin of one of the rebel leaders, was not abducted. 

The rebels demanded $10 million in ransom. The government and the U.S. Embassy refused to pay, and the Philippine military launched a rescue operation to free Schilling and Ulla. 

In an interview last month, Schilling said he was being kept in chains, had an infection in his leg and was losing hope that he would be released. He said the rebels holding him travel at night to escape pursuing troops.