![Two New People's Army (NPA) insurgents were reported killed while an undetermined number were wounded following a clash with 26th Infantry Battalion troopers in Loreto town, Agusan del Sur Thursday afternoon. (Photo By Eugene Alvin Villar (seav) (English Wikipedia) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)])](https://canadianinquirer.net/v1/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Ph_locator_map_agusan_del_sur.png)
According to a press statement released by Army Captain Jasper Gacayan yesterday, the rebels kidnapped businessman Carzon Ceasar Lademora who was also the son of former San Francisco Mayor Carl Lademora in Sitio Anoling, Barangay Bayugan 3 in Rosario Town, Agusan del Sur.
The statement also stated that the rebels were demanding ransom money from the family in exchange for the release of the victim who was also suffering from hypertension.
Operations are now being conducted by the military and the police.
However, the Philippine Army had denounced the kidnapping and said that other businessmen in San Francisco and in nearby towns are worried about the effects of the NPA kidnappings to their economies.
Despite the news, President Duterte had expressed his intentions to still meet the rebel group halfway and to end the long-standing conflict.
Speaking before Filipinos in Hong Kong last Saturday, the President mentioned the release of 14 convicted communists as part of the on-going agreement between the government and the rebel group.
“I cannot be a wartime President.
I cannot afford to fight with anybody especially to wage war against my people.” He said.
Meanwhile an unidentified NPA guerrilla was killed in an encounter against government forces in Kalinga on Saturday afternoon while two were killed in an encounter in Zamboanga Sibugay.