The provincial social welfare office distributes relief goods to the family of the hostages in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur. Photo by Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - Police are now cooking up a rescue plan for the 46 remaining hostages of an armed tribal group led by a former militiaman in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, an official said Saturday.

Senior Superintendent Nestor Fajura, Caraga police's operations chief, said a police commando unit remains on standby in Prosperidad in case a rescue mission needs to be carried out to secure the hostages being held by the group of former Cafgu member Ondo Perez in Sitio Maitum, Barangay San Martin.

"The PNP (Philippine National Police) has secured the area. Preparations are underway basically for possible rescue of the hostages," Fajura told ANC television.

He, however, clarified that the rescue plan would only be used if the lives and safety of the hostages will be threatened.

Fajura said that based on the local crisis management committee's assessment, there was still "no high level of threat" on the lives of the hostages.

He said the hostage takers have been showing positive signs, particularly after they agreed to release one hostage identified as Nestor Ocha, who was suffering from hypertension.

Ocha was released around 6:30 p.m. Friday. He was the 10th hostage released on Friday, bringing the total of hostages released since Thursday morning to 28.

Alfredo Plaza, designated spokesman of the crisis management committee, said Saturday afternoon that another hostage has been released by Perez's group.

Perez's group took hostage as many as 125 people on Thursday morning and brought them to a mountainous area in Sitio Maitum, Barangay San Martin. Fifty people were able to immediately escape from the group.

Fajura said they are still confident that Perez's group would live up to its promise of not hurting the hostages, who, are reportedly also relatives and friends of the members of the tribal group.

The police officer said the PNP would not issue an ultimatum to the hostage takers. He said there were instructions for the police to remain on standby and allow the negotiations to push through until the crisis is over.

Meanwhile, Fajura said the police have banned the media from accompanying the local crisis management committee members during actual negotiations with the Perez group.

"It will not be safe for the media. Once there is a need for rescue, it would be better if the media will be out of the area," he said. With a report from Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News