And Duterte’s spokesman Martin Andanar also said in Manila that “the (Philippine) government maintains the no-ransom policy”.
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The Abu Sayyaf freed Mr. Sekkingstad on Saturday, handing him over to Mr. Misuari who is engaged in peace talks with the government and at whose camp he spent the night, Dureza said earlier.
Solberg noted, however, that although Sekkingstad’s case had been successful, his two companions – Canadians John Risdel and Robert Hall – had not been so lucky.
Abu Sayyaf, a militant group which operates in the southern Philippines, released on Sunday three Indonesian hostages. Filemon Tan Jr. said the sustained military operations pressured the ASG to release its kidnap victims.
Sekkingstad and three others were taken from a marina in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte province on September 21 past year.
There are reports that ransom have been paid for the release of Sekkingstad, but Philippine authorities could not confirm this as of press time.
In April, after murdering Canadian hostage Ridsdel, the group reset the deadline to June 13 for the remaining three hostages.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked all soldiers to be prepared and vigilant as he expects more terror attacks by Abu Sayyaf militant similar to the Davao City market blast that left 15 people killed at at least 70 others injured.
While its leaders have in recent years pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, analysts say the Abu Sayyaf is mainly focused on a lucrative kidnapping business rather than religious ideology.
While there were rumors the victims were released after paying $42 million, Padilla said he was unaware of any ransom paid in exchange for the captives’ release.
The Abu Sayyaf has attempted to portray itself as an Islamic militancy group with pretensions of establishing a caliphate within Southeast Asia, not unlike the Islamic State in the Middle East.
The commander of the Western Mindanao Command, Mayoralgo de la Cruz, said the Philippine government had cooperated with the MNLF, as the latter was familiar with the Sulu Island area and its members had a broad network in the region. “I salute the country for being peaceful”, Duterte said.
“I feel so relieved that I am free from that very remote place and I can now return to being [healthy] because I was thinking that I have been beheaded”, he added, expressing gratitude to the Philippines’ government and armed forces as well as the MNLF.
The Abu Sayyaf, a ragtag group of several hundred gunmen, is notorious for ransoming off foreigners.
The Abu Sayaff who abducted Norwegian national Sekkingstad along with two foreigners and one Filipina past year, freed their remaining hostage last Saturday (Sept, 17) around 2 p.m.in Patikul Sulu.
However, a spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf was quoted in a local newspaper yesterday as saying the group received 30 million pesos for the Norwegian.
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The Filipino army is now engaged in a major military offensive against Abu Sayyaf fighters, who are locked down in their strongholds.
