Raps filed vs Agusan hostage-takers

The government on Tuesday filed kidnapping with serious illegal detention complaints against the leader and members of the tribal group responsible for the three-day hostage crisis in Agusan del Sur last week. Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said illegal detention complaints were also filed against Joebert "Ondo" Perez and 13 others for the victims who were released less than three days.

The complaints were filed with the Agusan del Sur Prosecutor's Office. Espina said the suspects remain under the custody of the Agusan del Sur Provincial Police Office. Perez led his group Thursday last week in holding hostage 75 people, including school children and teachers of Maitum Elementary School, in the provincial capitol town of Prosperidad. Eighteen, 17 of them students, were released on the same day. Twelve others were released in the next two days. Authorities said the group fled to the school and took people hostage to prevent being arrested by police, who are pursuing them for their alleged participation in the killing of the family of Perez's rival, Jun Tubay, last February. Through negotiations spearheaded by the crisis management committee, the group agreed to release the remaining hostages on Sunday. The negotiators, invoking a law that protects the rights of ethnic groups, agreed to Perez's demand to have his case handled by a tribal court. Perez had also demanded the arrest of Tubay, whom he accused of killing his sisters and relatives last year. Both families are locked in a clan war.- KBK, GMANews.TV