Libertação dos membros da Cruz Vermelha Internacional raptados nas Filipinas

Photo: ICRC

MANILA, 3 April 2009 (IRIN) - Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants have freed one of three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hostages seized in January on the southern Philippine island of Jolo, in a bid to stave off a potentially bloody confrontation with troops who have cornered them in a dense jungle area, the government says.

Mary Jean Lacaba, 37, has been turned over to authorities, and despite being weak and haggard from weeks in captivity, was otherwise unharmed, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said.

"We are happy that Ms Lacaba is back with us and we hope the ASG (Abu Sayyaf group) will also release the other two hostages very soon," Arroyo said in a statement on 2 April.

"This is the answer to our people's prayers, and also confirmation that we should always stand behind our policy of dealing firmly with any form of lawless behaviour."

Two other hostages, Eugenio Vagni of Italy and Swiss national Andreas Notter remain with the Al Qaeda-linked group, and latest intelligence reports from the ground say they too are still alive.

The release came just days after a tense stand off between the Abu Sayyaf and the military, which had refused to give in to a demand by the gunmen to pull out all its forces from the impoverished island of Jolo or they would behead one hostage.

The Vatican, the Italian government, as well as the ICRC president have all issued appeals for the three to be released.

Marine Colonel Eugene Clemen said the Abu Sayyaf decided to hand over Lacaba to Jolo Vice Governor Nur Ana Sahidulla, who has earlier been granted access into the rebel camp to check on the hostages.

He said the gunmen had refused to allow the three hostages to contact their relatives during the stand off, but that apparently the rebels were also showing signs of weakening. He would no disclose other details of the release, except that there have been a flurry of talks between intermediaries that led to the breakthrough.

"She was very tired. They didn't have anything much to eat during captivity and the past few days was filled with anxiety after they were told they were going to be beheaded," Clemen said.

"She is now resting and is having a medical check up. She has also talked with her colleagues in the ICRC," he said.

The ICRC in a statement in Geneva and in Manila confirmed that Lacaba has been freed, and that "she appears to be in good health, although very tired and extremely worried for her two colleagues."

It said that Lacaba informed them that Notter and Vagni were still alive when she left the rebel lair.

"Although we're very happy that Ms Lacaba will soon be back with her family, we remain very concerned for our other colleagues," the ICRC said.

The Abu Sayyaf, or bearers of the sword, is the smallest but the most brutal of several Islamic groups operating in the southern Philippines. It once received funding from the Al Qaeda and is believed to maintain an alliance with the Jemaah Islamiyah, an Indonesian-based group blamed for the Bali bomb attacks that killed over 200 in 2002.

The Abu Sayyaf had not demanded any ransom for the three, although previous abductions blamed on them had led to millions in dollars in money changing hands.

From a high of about 1,500 in the early 1990s, the group's strength has now dropped to around 300 fighters due to military successes on the field that had killed many senior leaders and followers.

Operating in small units, the Abu Sayyaf had kidnapped dozens of foreigners in the past.

It is on the US government's list of foreign terrorist organisations, and is blamed for the deaths of two American captives seized from an island resort in 2001 - one of them was beheaded.