Sayyaf frees four Malaysian sailors

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Abu Sayyaf rebels in the Southern Philippines freed four kidnapped Malaysian tugboat crewmen on Wednesday following a series of private negotiations, reports said.

It said the four men - Wong Teck Kang, 31, Wong Hung Sing, 34, Wong Teck Chii, 29, and Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21, - were spirited out of Sulu province after rebels handed them over to unidentified Filipino negotiators.