Rodwell escaped beheading plan Gaunt: Australian adventurer Warren Rodwell after his rescue. Islamic terrorists were planning to behead Australian Warren Rodwell to mark the beginning of Holy Week this weekend, the most important time for Catholics in the Philippines. Mr Rodwell, 54, was released early Saturday in the southern Philippine port city of Pagadian just hours before his planned execution, informed sources believe. The Abu Sayyaf terrorists would have considered executing Mr Rodwell during Holy Week as a significant victory for Islamic militants in the staunchly Catholic Philippines. Warren Rodwell before he was kidnapped. In 2001, the same group beheaded US hostage Guillermo Sobero as a "gift" to the Philippine President. The breakthrough in Mr Rodwell's 15-month ordeal came three weeks ago when Al Rashid Sakalahul, a respected local politician, was asked by the family of Mr Rodwell's Filipino wife, Miraflor Gutang, 28, to help obtain his release. Mr Sakalahul, deputy vice-governor of Basilan Island where Mr Rodwell was being held, had played a key role in obtaining the release of other kidnap victims in the area. "I told them that I will try my best to help them - and thank God that we succeeded in bringing Rodwell out alive," Mr Sakalahul said. The kidnappers had made clear in a video four months ago they would execute Mr Rodwell "in an unusual way" if a ransom was not paid. Beheading their victims, particularly non-Muslims, has become a trademark of the group, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda. Holy Week's approach revived efforts to negotiate Mr Rodwell's release after they had been stalled for months, sources said. Nobody associated with the case wants to mention the payment of a ransom. Both the Australian and Philippine governments have policies not to pay ransoms, for the obvious reason that this would encourage future kidnappings. Mr Sakalahul said the family negotiated directly with the kidnappers and he did not know how much "board and lodging" was paid. Mr Sakalahul was in bed at 1.30am on Saturday when Puruji Indama, the leader of Abu Sayyaf, called to tell him Mr Rodwell had been dumped in Pagadian, about 100 kilometres east of where he had been kidnapped on December 5, 2011. As Mr Rodwell's sister Denise was preparing to fly to the Philippines, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the family had "shown a great deal of courage and stoicism in ... a tremendously difficult situation." with Natalie O'Brien