Two Philippine soldiers were freed by their New People's Army captors in Compostela Valley on Tuesday afternoon. Niño Alavaro and Marjon Añover, who were seized at a rebel checkpoint in the town of Monkayo on Sept. 30, were released to Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte.The NPA earlier said that Alavaro and Añover were taken for investigation for possible "crimes against humanity and counter-revolutionary activities."
Mayor Duterte said he had asked the NPA to release the soldiers if they had committed no serious offenses. He said, "I asked them (the NPA), if the soldiers do not have serious offenses against the people, they should be released immediately because it is almost Christmas."
Another soldier is still held captive by the NPA in Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental. NPA spokesperson Lorena Mangahas said that Pfc Adonis Lupiba was ready to be released but the process was hampered by the rescue operations being done by the military.
Duterte said that the NPA would turn over to him P25,000 recovered by the militants who captured and killed Mayor Dario Otaza of Loreto town in Agusan del Sur, and his son, last month. Duterte said, "When they searched the bodies, the NPA found P25,000 and they issued a statement that they want to return it because they do not want to be called bandits. Because taking it is a bandit’s act and they are not bandits. What they are doing is based on ideology."