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Philippine gunmen hold 57 hostages, free children
The hostages were being held in a mountainous area near the town of Prosperidad in Agusan del Sur province. Police said the gunmen had seized 75 people, but later freed 18, including all 17 children. Authorities described the gunmen as former members of a civilian militia who had taken to banditry. Some officials said they could have taken hostages because they were being pursued by police after a gun battle with a rival tribal group on Wednesday.
Other officials said the group was demanding the dropping of cases against them, action against the rival group and media coverage. Lino Calingasan, regional police chief, said all remaining hostages were adults.
“Negotiations are ongoing. We are trying to find out how the others can be released,” he told Reuters. “It is a good signal, that they are willing to negotiate. We are hoping this will be resolved peacefully.”
Negotiators had left the mountain site to return to town and would resume talks on Friday, officials said. Last month, 57 people, including 30 journalists, were killed after being stopped at a checkpoint in Maguindanao province while on their way to file a candidate’s nomination for elections.
The killings prompted a crackdown in the generally lawless southern Philippines and the imposition of martial law in Maguindanao last week.
Bandits, communist guerrillas and extremist rebels operate widely throughout Mindanao -- a southern island and region which contains Maguindanao. In addition, powerful local families maintain large private armies and feuding among them is common. Clan rivalry was at the root of last month’s massacre.
The government has armed many villagers and formed civilian militias to counter the communist and Muslim rebels. Analysts say clan wars pose a threat to a fragile four-year truce between the government and Muslim separatists.
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