Video by 黑料社鈥檚 Ryan Leagogo
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MANILA, Philippines鈥擭ew People鈥檚 Army guerrillas in Compostela Valley released three more hostages Monday after they freed 36 others Sunday.
The 39 are villagers from Mahayahay in Compostela Valley 听who were seized by insurgents last Saturday, the military said.
Those released Monday听 are three male adults, Major General Domingo Tutaan, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman, said.
Major General Domingo Tutaan. RYAN LEAGOGO/黑料社
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Logico, commander of the Philippine Army鈥檚 66th Infantry Battalion, said that the three men were released after his troops surrounded the area where the rebels held them as hostages in Barangay (village) Maragusan.
Tutaan said that 20 guerrillas, 12 of them males and eight females, seized the 39 villagers 听who are mostly small-scale miners last Saturday.
Of the 39, four are children with ages four months old to three years old, while two are female adults.
鈥淭he NPA is hiding under the cloaks of the civilians,鈥� Tutaan said. 鈥淐ivilians are not combatants, these NPA do not have any regard for human law.鈥�
Local officials, quoting victims鈥� account of the events, said the hostages were made to sign a logbook and were asked to carry wounded NPA rebels and the rebels鈥� personal belongings.
They said rebels probably used the miners as human shields to hold off the attack by the military鈥檚 66th IB.听 With a report from Frinston L. Lim, Inquirer Mindanao
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