Rodwell with authorities in a helicopter. Credit:Lindsay Murdoch Mr Rodwell's cousin Susan Lorainne-Ford says his release is a huge relief, and the family is keen to see Mr Rodwell come home. She also said the Australian Government did help to negotiate, but they did not provide any financial assistance. Kidnappers believed to be from the Islamic Abu Sayyaf terrorist organisation released the former Australian army officer in Pagadian City, a regional centre on the south-west tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula, at 4.30am AEDT Friday. Looking even more gaunt and frail that he did when the last photographs of him were released six weeks ago, Mr Rodwell was helped from a helicopter at a military base in Zamboanga City.

Warren Rodwell is escorter from a helicopter. Police in Pagadian, a port city about 100 kilometres east of the town where Mr Rodwell was kidnapped, joked with him after he arrived at a police station. "Lose weight...skeleton," Mr Rodwell said, smiling for a camera. Australian Warren Rodwell during his captivity in this screen grab from the last video released by the Abu Sayyaf. Credit:Al Jacinto Mr Rodwell took off his t-shirt and showed ribs that could be seen hard against his skin.

US military officers prevented journalists speaking with him. Authorities move Rodwell into the back of a vehicle. God has rewarded us and heard our prayers. Mr Rodwell was flanked by US soldiers and several unidentified Australian men. The helicopter had flown Mr Rodwell from Pagadian City.

Hostage Warren Rodwell shown on Thursday the 27th of December 2012 in a YouTube video confirming that he is alive. Credit:Youtube The Philippine military provided photographs of the arrival to Fairfax Media. Mr Rodwell is in the care of the US military's anti-terrorism Joint Special Operations Task Force with the Philippines armed forces. Warren Rodwell relaxes at a police camp in Pagadian City shortly after he was freed by the Abu Sayyaf. Mr Rodwell's Filipino wife met him in Zamboanga City.

It is not known if any money was paid to Rodwell's kidnappers. Army General Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, the commander of the 1st Infantry Division, earlier confirmed the release of Mr Rodwell in Pagadian City and said a respected politician Al Rashid Sakalahul helped in the negotiations to free him. Mr Sakalahul, vice-governor of Basilan province where Mr Rodwell was being held, said the the leader of the kidnappers, Puruji Indama, telephoned him to tell him the terrorists had freed Mr Rodwell and left him at a fisheries building in the city. “I immediately called up our (Basilan) Provincial Police Director (Senior Superintendent Mario Dapillosa) and the (Philippine Army Infantry) Brigade Commander Charlie Galvez to contact their counterpart in Pagadian City,” Mr Sakalahul said. Mr Rodwell, who has spent many years in Asia, was snatched by half a dozen gunmen posing as policemen on December 5, 2011. The kidnappers demanded a $2 million ransom after abducting him after a violent struggle at his home in the seaside town of Ipil, in the restive region of Mindanao.

He was reported to have been taken initially to Basilan Island, off the Zamboanga Peninsula, and later moved to Sulu island to be held by a different group. The Sulu archipelago includes hundreds of small islands between the southern Philippines and the coast of Malaysia At the time of his capture he had reportedly recently separated from his second wife, a 28-year old Filipina, Miraflor Gutang. Shortly after the kidnapping she said she was unable to pay any ransom amount. Mr Rodwell also has a family and grown children in Australia. After months with little news of his condition or whereabouts, his kidnappers released a two-minute video late last year showing him clutching a newspaper dated December 15, 2012. Looking gaunt and sounding tired and in poor spirits, he said he held ‘‘no hope at all for being released’’. ‘‘I do not trust the Abu Sayyaf, I do not trust the Australian government,’’ he said. ‘‘I just don’t trust anyone. Personally, I don’t care.’’

In the video Mr Rodwell said few of those around him spoke English, and he had no solid information about any negotiations that might be taking place. The Australian government has discouraged reporting of Mr Rodwell’s plight and any speculation on ransom negotiations. The Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, welcomed the release of the video in December as ‘‘confirmation of Mr Rodwell’s welfare’’. He said the government was ‘‘assisting Philippines authorities where appropriate’’ but further comment would not be ‘‘helpful’’. A month later a further proof-of-life photo was released showing Mr Rodwell holding a newspaper dated January 25. The Department of Foreign Affairs again requested a news blackout. The kidnapping is likely to focus attention on how the department handled the kidnapping. Bob East, an expert on the Abu Sayyaf, said the Australian government had done little to help Mr Rodwell while the Philippine armed forces should get credit for Mr Rodwell's release.

"They [the Philippine military] could have gone in guns blazing with dire consequences," said Dr East, a Queensland academic who has written a PhD dissertation and other research papers on the group. "Obviously they co-operated with local officials." Dr East said all the Australian government did was "request a new black-out...what good did that do?". Dr East said that if any ransom was paid the amount should be kept confidential. Mr Sakalahul told Fairfax Media that he “done my part, my duty and responsibility as an elected official of the province.”

“When the Filipino family of Rodwell sought my help three weeks ago, I told them that I will try all my best to help them and thank God that we succeeded in bringing out Rodwell safe and alive. God has rewarded us and heard our prayers,” Mr Sakalahul said, referring to Ms Gutang. Mr Sakalahul said Mr Rodwell's family negotiated directly with the kidnappers and that he did not know how much money was paid to the kidnappers. The Abu Sayyaf were likely to have claimed a ransom under the guise of "board and lodging" for Mr Rodwell, who they threatened to kill eight weeks ago if money was not paid. On Thursday, Abu Sayyaf militants also freed a Malaysian fish merchant – Pang Choon Pong – who they had seized 17 months ago in Tawi-Tawi province, also in the southern Philippines. The 48-year-old native of Sandakan in Sabah Island has returned to his family after a successful negotiation by Malaysia. Mr Pang was kidnapped by five gunmen in the village of Larap on Sitangkai Island on October 5, 2011 in Tawi-Tawi province. Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the release was secured through careful and tireless negotiations with the kidnappers. "We empathise with the family and the trauma they must have gone through. As such we decided to intervene and assist in securing Pang's release," he said.

Philippine police said the Abu Sayyaf is still holding a Japanese treasure hunter, Toshio Ito, 66, since 2010. He was last reported to have been helping the rebel group in cooking food for them and freely moves around. Aside from the Japanese, the Abu Sayyaf is also holding Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani, 43, who went to Sulu province along with two Filipino assistants in June 2012 to secretly film the Abu Sayyaf for a documentary on Al Arabiya News Channel. The Filipinos were both freed this year. Prior to his detention, Atyani has had previously travelled to the province in secrecy to interview terrorist leaders. The military has previously said it would arrest Atyani for espionage should he be released by the Abu Sayyaf. Atyani had also clandestinely interviewed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden before the 9/11 attacks in the United States. Loading Police said two European wildlife photographers - Ewold Horn, 52, from Holland; and Lorenzo Vinciguerre, 47, from Switzerland - kidnapped in February 2012 in Tawi-Tawi province had been brought to Sulu. Police in Tawi-Tawi said the duo was allegedly seized by members of the Moro National Liberation Front.

with PAT MITCHELL