For more news visit ☛ http://english.ntdtv.com<br />Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision<br />Add us on Faceboo☛ http://facebook.com/NTDTelevision<br /><br />A hostage situation involving a dozen people, including school children, continues in the southern Philippines today. The hostages are being held by an armed tribal group demanding land and recognition.<br /><br />A tribal group is still holding school officials and two children hostage in a remote part of the southern Philippines. The hostages, many of whom are school officials, were captured on Friday by an armed tribal group after attending a graduation ceremony in Prosperidad.<br /><br />One of the children, a 12-year-old boy, was released unharmed on Monday.<br /><br />The committee is still negotiating the release of a 10-year-old girl who is said to be feverish due to trauma.<br /><br />A police spokesman says negotiations are also going on for the release of the 12 remaining hostages.<br /><br />[Col. Nestor Fajura, Spokesperson, Agusan Del Sur Police]:<br />"We would rather not have our movements calculated, but we are giving premium to the safety of the hostages."<br /><br />Fajura says the talks will continue on Tuesday afternoon.<br /><br />[...]<br /><br />On Sunday, two of the hostages sent to get food, water and medicine were stopped from returning.<br /><br />Local radio reports a hostage sent a mobile phone text message begging for rice and dried fish. <br /><br />The hostage-takers are said to be demanding the release of their tribal leader and comrades.<br /><br />They also want the government to recognize their claim over land they consider their ancestral domain.<br /><br />The tribal leader was jailed in 2009 for holding 79 residents hostage over a land dispute between rival tribes.<br /><br />On Saturday, authorities temporarily released the jailed tribal leader Ondo Perez to help speed up the release of the other hostages.<br /><br />The city mayor says the negotiators have no authority to swap the hostages for the imprisoned gunmen.
