1st LD Writethru: Woman hostage released by Abu Sayyaf in southern Philippines

The Abu Sayyaf on Friday released Marites Flor, a Filipino woman who was abducted by the group from a posh resort in southern Philippines along with other three men in September last year.

Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman of the military's Western Mindanao Command, confirmed the release of Flor in Jolo town in Sulu, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.

"She is physically okay," Tan said, adding that Flor was freed in front of the residence of Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan in community Asturias.

He said Flor was turned over to the custody of the Joint Task Force Sulu of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Jolo at around 11 a.m. (0300 GMT) for medical check-up.

Of the four people abducted by the Abu Sayyaf on the Samal Island in Davao del Norte, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad is the only one still being kept in captivity.

The two other victims, Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, were beheaded on April 25 and June 13, respectively for failure to meet ransom deadline.

The Philippine government has vowed to continue with the military operations in the southern province of Sulu to secure the safe release of Sekkingstad.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines continues to pursue Abu Sayyaf Group bandits until all captives are freed or rescued safely," said outgoing Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Heminio Coloma Jr.

Formed in the early 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines.

The United States and the Philippines have both listed the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization for carrying out kidnappings, beheadings and bombings. Endit