Zamboanga City, Philippines - One of three television journalists abducted by Islamic militants in the southern Philippines has been freed, officials said Friday. Angelo Valderama, a cameraman of ABS-CBN, the Philippines' largest radio and television network, was turned over by his captors to government emissaries on Thursday evening, police Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao said.
But senior correspondent Ces Drilon and another cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion were still being held hostage on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila.
A Muslim professor who acted as the crew's guide was also still in captivity.
Goltiao, a regional police director, said Valderama's release was a "positive development" in the crisis.
"We are happy even if only one person has been freed," he said.
Isnaji Alvarez, mayor of Indanan town, who has been helping in the negotiations to free Drilon and others, said Valderama's release was a "gift" from the kidnappers.
"This is a gift and a sign of goodwill that the kidnappers are heeding our negotiations," he said. "This is just the beginning and we hope to get the rest of the hostages at the soonest possible time."
Alvarez declined to confirm reports that 2 million pesos (45,450 dollars) was paid for Valderama's release.
The kidnappers, believed to be members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebel group, have reportedly demanded between 10 million pesos and 30 million pesos for the release of all the hostages.
The Abu Sayyaf, which has been blamed for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines, is also notorious for its kidnapping-for-ransom activities.
In April 2000, the Abu Sayyaf abducted 21 Western tourists and Asian workers from the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan, and held them hostage for months on Jolo. The hostages were eventually freed after millions of dollars in ransom was allegedly paid.
In May 2001, Abu Sayyaf rebels seized 17 Filipino and three American vacationers from a posh resort in the western Philippines. One of the American was beheaded in June 2001, while the other was killed in a botched rescue attempt a year later.
