Three state school teachers kidnapped by militants were released on Tuesday after spending four months in captive in the jungles of the southern Philippine island of Basilan, a military spokesman confirmed.
Alex Pama, commander of naval forces in western Mindanao, said Freires Quizon, 29, Janette de los Reyes, 27, and Rafael Mayonado, 22, were recovered safely in Mohamad Adjul town in Basilan at around 2:00 p.m. (0600 GMT).
"Its a very welcome development considering the information we have -- they were released unharmed and they are safe," Pama said, adding that he has no information about whether any ransom was paid to secure the teachers' release.
Xinhua local source said the teachers were fetched by former Tuburan Mayor Nurhassan Jamiri and they were taken to military custody for the proper debriefing procedure.
Parents and closed relatives hugged the released teachers, who apparently lost weight, at their tearful reunion.
The three were snatched by unidentified armed men at gunpoint on Jan. 23 on a jump-boat transferring them from a small community school in Sacol Island to Zamboanga city proper across the Basilan Strait.
The kidnappers, considered having ties with the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, had earlier given local government executives in Basilan and Zamboanga city an ultimatum to pay ransom until May 29.
The ultimatum was lifted Monday with the kidnappers agreeing to reduce the ransom demand to 2.5 million pesos (53,191 U.S. dollars) .
Militants are still holding at least five hostages in Basilan, including a Sri Lankan peace advocate and three teachers from Zamboanga Sibugay province. Ransom is widely believed to be the motive behind most kidnappings in the Philippines.
(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2009)
