Philippines rebel group frees mayor of southern town

Manila: Communist insurgents yesterday announced the release of a southern Philippines mayor they had abducted alleging collusion with mining firms to exploit the country's mineral resources.

Lingig, Surigao del Sur Mayor Henry Dano and his two army escorts were released at 3pm yesterday, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo was quoted by radio reports as saying.

The three were freed in the hinterlands of Trento town in Agusan del Sur province. Dano and his two bodyguards were abducted on September 6.

The New People's Army (NPA) said he had been abducted for maintaining a private armed group that provided security to big mining companies operating in Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.

Earlier, on Saturday, the NPA released four prison guards they had abducted in a raid in Kitaotao, Bukidnon on July 21. "Released on humanitarian grounds" were jail inspector Murphy Bomoway Todyog, jail warden Erico Dacillo Llamasares, special jail officer 2 Rogelio Begontes and jail officer Rolando Delta Bajoyo Jr.

The release of the four came nearly a week after some 300 heavily armed NPA rebels simultaneously attacked the Taganito Mining Company, Nickel Asia Corp, and the Platinum Metal Corp all in Claver, Surigao del Norte and burned heavy equipment.

In a related development, the Communist Party of the Philippines has announced the death of Gregorio Rosal, a former labour union leader, who rose through the ranks to become its spokesman for two decades.

"The Communist Party of the Philippines wishes to inform ... that CPP spokesperson Gregorio ‘Ka [comrade] Roger' Rosal passed away in a guerrilla zone on June 22 after suffering a heart attack. He was 64,"