25 hostages still held by militants

– The Philippine defence chief says 25 hostages are still being held by Islamic militants in the southern Philippines but urged that no ransom be paid for their release.

President Rodrigo Duterte has been pressured to declare martial law in at least three southern islands where jihadists operate.

Companies which employed two recently freed Indonesians paid a ransom of 20 million pesos (about R5.4 million). – AFP