75 including children taken as hostages in Agusan Sur town

(UPDATE 7 - 7:06 p.m.) About 75 people, including school children and teachers, were taken as hostages by a group of armed men Thursday in the southern Philippine province of Agusan del Sur, a police official said. Chief Superintendent Lino de Guzman Calingasan, head of the Philippine National Police in the Caraga Region, said 18 of the victims - 17 of them students - had already been released by their abductors, identified as the Ondo Perez criminal group. In a separate television interview, Senior Superintendent Nestor Fajura, Caraga region police operations chief, said two teachers were also able to escape the hostage-takers. "These teachers are now under under the custody of their district supervisor," Fajura said. But in a phone interview with GMANews.TV, Calingsan said the teachers were not part of the 75 hostages. In his report to the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Calingasan said 15 armed men held the victims in Maitum Elementary School in Sitio Maitum in Barangay San Martin, Prosperidad town at about 8 a.m. Fajura, for his part, said only 15 men are responsible for the crime. Calingasan said joint elements from the Agusan Del Sur PNP and Special Action Force have been sent to the area to work for the immedate release of the hostages. “Very optimistic po kami at umaasa po kami na ito ay mare-resolve as soon as possible time (We are optimistic that this would be resolved the soonest time)," he said in a television interview before 4 p.m. Clan war Calingsan said Perez’s group was an independent armed group composed of former Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) members. Authorities received initial reports that they were firing indiscriminately in the nearby village of Barangay La Purisima when responding police pursued them. The group fled the area and went to the elementary school. But according to Fajura, the group held the victims to prevent the arrest, which stemmed from the massacre of the family of a certain Jun Tubay last February. He said Tubay, also a resident of Prosperidad town, and the group were allegedly engaged “in some sort of a clan war." But in an interview with GMANew.TV, Calingasan belied the report, saying authorities have yet to see the connection between hostage taking and the alleged murder case. He said Tubay, also a resident of Prosperidad town, and the group were engaged “in some sort of a clan war." Negotiations on the hostage crisis are ongoing as of posting time. Fajura said among the initial demands were the withdrawal of cases against them; the arrest of Tubay; media presence; and to halt the government operations against them. “We know that these demands, especially the withdrawal of cases is really hard to negotiate so we are trying to negotiate… We will try to work out on the release of hostages," he added. “Nakikipag-communicate naman sila sa ating negotiator at nagkakaroon naman ng positive development kaya nagkaroon na nang initial release," said Calingasan. (The hostage-takers and our negotiator are communicating so some of the hostages were released.) The negotiations are being carried out by the crisis management committee, Calingasan said. He added that the victims and their hostage-takers are currently staying in house in Sitio Maitum.
Calingasan was quick to dismiss that the incident was election related. He said the Ondo Perez group was an independent armed group composed of former Cafgu members. Authorities received initial reports that the hostage-takers were firing indiscriminately in the nearby village of Barangay La Purisima when responding police pursued them. The group fled the area and went to the elementary school. - Aie Balagtas See/ KBK, GMANews.TV