ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines – The Abu Sayyaf freed unharmed in Sulu on Saturday a woman it had captive for more than a month but kept her engineer-husband apparently to ensure the payment of ransom, authorities said.
Police said Claire Salinas was released in a village in Patikul town and was recovered by local officials and patrolling government forces. Her husband Bonificio is believed still being held in the jungle of Patikul.
The Salinases, who work for the Jolo Municipal Water District, were seized last Feb. 16 while on their way home from the Jolo wharf.
Aside from Salinas’ husband, at least six people are still being held in captivity, including two women, Merilyn Suhali and Fatima Hussein, both residents of Jolo, Sulu, and two European bird watchers who were snatched in Tawi-Tawi in February 2012.
Additional combat police forces from the Special Action Force of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police have been deployed to back up Marines and local police units in tracking down the remaining captives.