Agusan Del Sur- Authorities in the Philippines are in negotiations with a rogue group of militiamen from a Manobo tribal area in Agusan del Sur province. Government media says a total of 125 people were taken hostage in a 8am raid on a school in the town of Properidad.
Philippine House Speaker Prospero Nograles on Thursday evening in manila has said government is working for the "immediate" but "peaceful" resolution of the hostage incident in a town in Agusan delur province.
Nograles in a statement said he is hopeful the negotiations will work. "I really hope and pray for the immediate but peaceful resolution of this hostage incident involving 57 schoolchildren in Agusan del Sur Province,"
The house speaker who is from Mindanao says he is in contact with local authorities on the ground, "Our local government authorities and security forces should exhaust all means to guarantee the safety of the hostages," he said.
Per the government news agency, "Around 125 elementary pupils, teachers and other civilians were held hostage by up to 25 fully-armed members of a robbery hold up group in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur province on Thursday morning.
Ondo Perez Group" Rogue militamen turned to crime or Robin Hood gang?
Locals say that Ondo Perez and his rogue militia fighters formerly members of a local anti-insurgency group had been effective at stopping illegal loggers in the area they operated in and allege a ‘massacre’ reported to have been carried out by his group was actually a clash between a rival militia group allegedly turned to crime in the area.
Philippine Police Senior Supt. Nestor Fajura, who is the operations chief of the Police Regional Office-13 however says the mass kidnapping incident which began around 8 a.m. as teachers and the students were starting classes at a local school will complicate further the cases filed versus Ondo Perez.. "This is not the way to deal with the groups problems, they need to turn themselves in surrender the hostages and they will have their day in court."
Earlier reports say that some 15 armed ‘gang members’ of the Ondo Perez Group seized the 125 civilians to Sitio Maitum in Barangay San Martin. Some of those seized were parents who begged to be taken along with the children.
Members of the elite SAS and US Special forces trained Police Special Action Force or PNP-SAF are currently on the ground and working in the operations against the group. The SAF is a police ‘beyond SWAT’ unit that is focused on counter terrorism and counter insurgent groups. It has a rapid deployment unit and can deploy anywhere in the Philippines from different police bases in less than 2 hours.
The Ondo Perez group, after becoming a ‘rogue’ militia unit allegedl engaged in ‘robbery and holdup’ crimes.
Among the groups demands were batteries for flashlights, cigarettes, As well as the end to all "police and military operations against them, as well as that government dismiss all "criminal charges" versus the group and its leader, they have also requested, "the presence of media as well as the oppertunity to speak directly on local radio and televsion also they seek the arrest of Jun Tubay, a leader of their rival group of former militia fighters whom they allege also engaged in criminal acts in an area the Perez group operates in .
Police charged before the local courts charges versus the Perez group for multiple murder and the killing of members of the Tubay family this year. A Government, "crisis management committeehas been activated," Agusan del Sur Gov. Tina Plaza reported that.18 of the 75 held captives by the Perez robbery group were released unharmed, police authorities reported. Other family members are also in the area some also armed and Police fear that some ma attempt to rescue relatives on their own.
"We are also trying to allay the fears of local realitves who also have pursued the groups in a rogue posse of family members to let police and military units deal with the crisis. So far no one has been killed. The hostages have not been harmed we hope by morning this will be over and the hostages will be released unharmed." a spokesman for the Agusan Del Sur crisis management team told local radio listeners in Iligan City.
He clarifed a earlier report that all children had been released but said they are not sure if others are being held by the group who may have not been from the school as the Perez group also took hostage people walking down the road.
Leave Your Comments