Philippine officials gave differing accounts of Virgilio Fernandez’s return to freedom. Abu Sayyaf militants seized Fernandez June 3 in Basilan’s Lamitan city, where he was overseeing a road project.

Police Chief Inspector Edwin Placio says government militiamen stumbled onto Fernandez near a remote village on Basilan Island’s Al Barka township and turned him over to police. The army, however, says its troops rescued Fernandez from his captors in a daring mission that did not spark any gunbattle.

Placio says the victim is fine and has been turned over to his family.