ZAMBOANGA CITY?Three public school teachers kidnapped six months ago and threatened with beheading by Abu Sayyaf bandits were released Wednesday on Basilan Island, officials said.

Chief Supt. Angelo Sunglao, police chief for Western Mindanao, said Jocelyn Inion, Jocelyn Enriquez and Noemi Mandi were freed in the village of Magkawa in Albarkah town at around 11:30 a.m.

Sunglao said one of the teachers was seriously ill, but declined to give details. He said the victims were undergoing medical treatment and debriefing.

Later, the teachers were taken to Camp Abendan in Zamboanga City, but reporters were barred from the police headquarters.

Sunglao said Enriquez and Mandi were recovered at Bangkuang in Tipo-Tipo town and Inion at Kabangkalan in Unkaya Pukan town.

He said the Zamboanga Sibugay Crisis Management Committee, headed by Gov. George Hofer, negotiated the release of the teachers.

?Happiest moment?

Elmer Mandi, husband of Noemi, said ?it was the happiest moment of my life.?

?For how many months did I wait and suffer. Thanks to the Almighty God, our prayers were answered,? Elmer said in a text message to the Inquirer.

Contacted by phone, Rodelio Enriquez said he was ?very, very happy? about the release of his wife.

?I wish I could proceed to the military camp in Zamboanga City right now and meet my wife,? Enriquez said in Filipino. He works as a driver in a fish processing plant in Ipil.

It was unclear why the Abu Sayyaf gang released the three women. The kidnappers had demanded P10 million and threatened to decapitate them once when they were pinned down by military offensives.

But police said that the impoverished families of the victims failed to pay.

The teachers were among several hostages taken captive by the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan or nearby Jolo Island early this year in an effort to raise funds to finance terrorist attacks. Nearly all the captives have been freed by the militants or were rescued by troops.

Three Red Cross workers were abducted in January on Jolo but were subsequently freed.

Best gift

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus called the release the ?best gift? for the country?s 500,000 public school teachers during the worldwide celebration of World Teachers Day on Oct. 5.

In a text message, Lapus, who had repeatedly appealed to the kidnappers, told the Inquirer ?that day is meant to exalt and thank the teaching profession, as well as not harm these noble missionaries.?