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Leftist rebels release 2 kidnapped jail officers in S. Philippines

Xinhua, May 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

The leftist New People's Army (NPA) on Thursday released two jail officers they kidnapped in southern Philippines last month, military officials said on Friday.

Juan Salazar and Feliciano Polan, personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) were turned over by their NPA captors to local officials led by Johnny Pimentel, governor of Surigao del Sur province at Libasod village, San Miguel town at around 8 a.m. local time, said Alberto Caber, spokesperson of the military's Eastern Mindanao Command.

Caber said the two BJMP officials were seized by NPA rebels during an ambush as the officers were escorting a captured suspected rebel bomb-maker to a court hearing in Marihatag town, Surigao del Sur, on April 27.

The rebels rescued their comrade, Jojean Alameda, and took hostage the two jail officers. The two officers were also wounded during the attack, according to the military.

Despite the release of the jail officers, Caber said the leftist rebels were not off the hook.

"These continuous violations to the international humanitarian law, human rights and the role of law show that the (rebels) are desperate in their armed struggle hence resorting to kidnapping, extortion, arson, murder," said Isidro Purisima, a local army commander in the area.

Since 2013, at least 30 civilians have been kidnapped by the NPA in eastern Mindanao, said Caber.

The 4,000-strong NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been fighting a leftist insurgency in 60 Philippine provinces since 1969. Endi