In June, the militants freed Maritess Flor, the Filipino hostage after receiving 20 million pesos as ransom.
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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.
After the four hostages were freed over the weekend following negotiations facilitated by MNLF – which is engaged in a peace process with the Philippines government – the men were hosted by the rebel group’s fugitive founder, Nur Misuari, in the island province of Sulu before being transported to Davao City.
From there, a government chopper will transfer the Indonesians to Zamboanga City while Sekkingstad will be flown to Davao City.
Norwegian national Kjartan Sekkingstad (centre) stands next to Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari and other members after he was freed from the Abu Sayyaf Islamist militant group, in Jolo, Sulu September 18, 2016.
The first message of thanks came from Kjartan Sekkingstad, the Norwegian resort manager who spent almost a year in captivity after he was nabbed along with three others from Samal island last September.
It is not immediately known if ransom money had been paid to secure the release of Sekkingstad and the three Indonesians although Philippine government officials insist this did not happen.
Duterte also stressed the release of Sekkingstad represented the “completion” of the government promise to the Norwegian government that has been hosting the resumption of its peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has warned his country’s troops to step up their fight against Abu Sayyaf Islamists and cautioned them the extremists want to establish a caliphate in south-east Asia. “The violence committed against innocent people by the terrorist organisation Abu Sayyaf can only be met with our condemnation and disgust”.
Marine Col. Edgard A. Arevalo, AFP Public Affairs Office chief, credited the release of the hostages to the intensified military operations being waged by the military against the ASG.
Ridsdel and Hall were beheaded in April and June, respectively.
Norway said the release was a “positive development”, adding that it was closely monitoring the situation and working with Philippine authorities to bring Sekkingstad to safety.
Duterte initially thought it was the Norwegian victim, Sekkingstad, who was beheaded because if he were, “I would accuse now the Abu Sayyaf of in utter bad faith”.
Unconfirmed reports say a large ransom was paid.
Duterte last month ordered a military offensive to “destroy” the Abu Sayyaf in an assault that had killed 15 soldiers and 32 militants, according to the military.
However a spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf was quoted in a local newspaper on Sunday as saying the group received 30 million pesos (about 625,000) for the Norwegian.
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Based in remote Muslim-populated southern islands of the mainly Catholic Philippines, its kidnappings for ransom – often of foreigners – have earned it millions.
