Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad was freed by militants after a year of jungle captivity. Other reports put the kidnapping at September, also previous year.
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Kjartan Sekkingstad and the Indonesians, who had been held by Abu Sayyaf militants, were handed over to envoy Jesus G. Dureza in the town of Indanan on Jolo island, said an AFP reporter at the scene.
A new round of peace talks between the Philippine government and the Maoist-led rebels resumed in Norway in August to end almost five decades of conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people.
Kjartan Sekkingstad was seized at a resort in September previous year, along with a Filipina, who has since been freed, and two Canadians, who were executed by the militants.
Amid the offensive against them, the Abu Sayyaf had freed three Indonesian nationals who were taken from a Malaysian fishing vessel near the east coast Lahad Datu district on July 9.
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Sekkingstad told reporters he endured “psychological pressure”, with the Abu Sayyaf threatening several times to behead him. “Now, if a third party or the family gave ransom, we don’t know about that”, he said.
The circumstances behind Sekkingstad’s release remained unclear, with more information expected early next week.
Aside from the horror of constantly being warned he would be the next to be beheaded by the brutal extremists, Sekkingstad said he survived more than a dozen clashes between Philippine forces and his captors in the lush jungles of Sulu province. Along him were a Filipino woman, who has already been freed, and two Canadians, namely John Ridsdel and Robert Hall.
Major Filemon Tan, local military spokesman, said that the Norwegian hostage was en route on Sunday to a military camp to undergo a medical checkup and debriefing.
Dureza quoted then Sulu Vice Governor Abdusakur Tan as saying Flor’s release was a “gesture of goodwill” on the part of the Abu Sayyaf.
While there were rumors the victims were released after paying 20 million in Philippine pesos, the equivalent of $42 million, Padilla said he was unaware of any ransom paid in exchange for the captives’ release.
Speaking at a military gathering in an army base, Duterte said: “The Abu Sayyaf no longer hungers for independence in Mindanao”.
One of the crew told reporters through an interpreter that life in the captivity of the Abu Sayyaf in the jungles of Sulu had been very hard and “more like death”.
The ASG militants are reportedly still holding five Indonesians, five Malaysians, a Dutch bird watcher, and five Filipinos hostage.
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Abu Sayyaf, which specializes in kidnapping foreigners and demanding ransoms, has been accused of carrying out a number of deadly attacks across the Philippines.
