Armed mountain tribesmen are holding at least 57 people hostage following a raid on an elementary school and nearby homes in the troubled southern Philippines.
The raid was carried out less than three weeks after a massacre in a nearby province in which 57 people were killed, throwing an unwelcome spotlight on the Southeast Asian nation and raising tensions ahead of presidential elections next year.
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 milita who had taken to banditry. Some officials said they could have taken hostages because they were being pursued by police after a gunbattle with a rival tribal group yesterday.
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 said. "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 tomorrow, 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 Islamic 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.
Reuters