Militants in the southern Philippines have freed a well-known television anchorwoman, her cameraman and a university professor after holding them as hostages for nine days to demand a ransom, police said Wednesday.
The three, including the ABS-CBN Corporation's top female anchorwoman Ces Drilon, were released around midnight Tuesday ( 1600 GMT) in a village of Jolo island by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants, the national police chief Avelino Razon told reporters.
Razon, who flew to the southern city of Zamboanga on Tuesday to oversee the rescue operation, said the captives are in good condition and will be given medical check-ups and proper nutrition before attending police briefings.
Police denied any ransom payment but insisted that the release of hostages be the result of "persistent and persuasive efforts" of negotiation.
Local media said the kidnappers were promised a "livelihood assistance" though no ransom was paid for Tuesday's release of hostages .
Drilon and two of her cameramen, together with Mindanao State University professor Octavio Dinampo who served as a local guide, were kidnapped in Sulu on June 8 when they were on the way to interview an Abu Sayyaf top commander.
One of the cameramen Angelo Valderama was freed on last Thursday after reportedly two million pesos (44,943 US dollars) were paid. Militants previously demanded another 15 million pesos (337,079 US dollars for Drilon and the other two's freedom but police said the demand had been canceled by Tuesday noon.
"I want to thank everybody. Words are not enough to thank those who prayed for the professor, Jimmy, Angel, and myself," ABS-CBN News quoted Drilon as saying before she boarded a military chopper bound for Zamboanga City.
The report said Drilon, wearing a white T-shirt and white jogging pants, looked tired and had apparent mosquito bites on her face.
"Ces, Jimmy, and Angelo are finally all free," ABS-CBN said in a statement read over a television broadcast. "We are thankful our prayers have been answered and our efforts rewarded."
On a Wednesday's press conference, Drilon said it was "betrayal " that led to her abduction but she didn't say who betrayed her or how it happened.
Drilon said she is cooperating with the police and military in their ongoing investigation into the abduction.
Meanwhile, the police on Wednesday have stepped up operations against the kidnappers.
"We are on all out offensive against the perpetrators of the crime. We have identified them through pictures and aliases," Joel Goltiao, police chief of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, told on-line news network INQUIRER.Net.
(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2008)
