[Gulf Today] The New People’s Army (NPA) has announced the release of two Philippine soldiers abducted on December 2 from a banana plantation compound in Davao del Norte province in the "spirit of the Christmas season". In the same spirit, a spokesman of the National Democratic Front (NDF) announced it ordered the release of nine more hostages who were nabbed last year in the provinces of Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte.The NPA abducted the two soldiers, who were assigned to guard a private airstrip during a raid in Davao del Norte. The communist rebels accused the company of violating its workers' rights, alleging 16-hour work shifts in which they were locked inside a building.
In a related development, NDF spokesman Jorge Madlos said in a press statement that nine more abducted soldiers and militiamen are to be released in time for the observation of the NPA's 46th founding anniversary on December 26. Madlos said that of the nine hostages, five including three policemen kidnapped in Surigao del Norte and two militiamen seized in 2013 in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur.