MANILA (CWNews.com)

    Two Catholic schoolteachers abducted by Muslim rebels in March were released on Friday and four Malaysians were released separately.

    The two female teachers, Teresita Academia and Erlinda Manuel, were abducted by the Abu Sayyaf Muslim separatist group from a school on Basilan island along with dozens of students, other teachers, and a priest. Father Ruel Gallardo, two other female teachers, and a male teacher were killed in May when rebels clashed with the military, and two other men were beheaded in April by the rebels. Academia and Manuel were the last two hostages being held after the others were released over the past few months.

    "We are happy because our children will now see us," Academia said. "We were not harmed. They treated us well." Manuel, who was two months' pregnant when seized, suffered a miscarriage June 25. Manuel said they will return to teaching but want to be reassigned to another school.

    The four Malaysians were part of a separate group of 21 mainly foreign hostages abducted from a nearby Malaysian resort island on April 23. Six Malaysians and one German woman have already been released. An undisclosed ransom was paid for the release of each of the hostages.

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