18 hostages freed; 57 remain captive

(UPDATE 2) MANILA, Philippines – A total of 57 people are still in the hands of a local armed group in Agusan del Sur, a military spokesman in the province disclosed today.

As of 3:50 p.m., the negotiating team, led by Josefina Bajade of the provincial social welfare officer, was able to bargain the release of 17 children and one adult from the custody of the Perez group, according to Maj. Randolf Cabangbang of the Eastern Mindanao Command.

It was unclear how many more children were among the remaining hostages, who also included teachers and parents of some of the students. 

The gunmen took hostage around 75 people, including schoolchildren and teachers, from Sitio Maitum, San Martin, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, early this morning.

Police were pursuing the gunmen, who appeared to be using the hostages as human shields to escape after a clash with authorities in a nearby village yesterday, Vice Gov. Santiago Cane Jr. told The Associated Press by telephone. 

The volatile southern Philippines is plagued by banditry, loosely supervised government-armed militias, and Muslim and communist insurgents.

Last month, 57 people traveling in an election convoy were killed in another southern province, Maguindanao, which has since been placed under martial law as authorities crack down on the powerful clan believed behind the attack. 

Police Chief Superintendent Jaime Milla said the gunmen in today's abductions were former militiamen who have been dismissed and turned to banditry and extortion, targeting mining and logging companies in Agusan del Sur and nearby provinces. 

Cane said police had clashed with the gunmen in another village, Purisima, yesterday, but no casualties were reported. He believed the gunmen were passing through nearby San Martin and took the hostages at the school to help win passage out of the area. 

"In my analysis ... the hostage taking was only for making them human shields," he said. "They want the standing warrant of arrest issued against them revoked." – With AP