Tribal gunmen on Sunday agreed to release all 42 people they still hold as hostages in the southern Philippine province of Agusan del Sur, local media quoted a ranking police official as saying.

Senior Superintendent Nestor Fajura, operations chief of the Region 13 police office, told radio dzBB in an interview "as of this moment, General Calingasan (Chief Superintendent Lindo Calingasan, Region 13 police chief), Ondo Perez, and the negotiating team will be going to Sitio Maitum, Barangay San Martin in Prosperidad town to fetch all the hostages for their official release."

The decision to release the hostages was reached after two-hour closed door negotiations between the crisis committee and the gunmen's leader, Ondo Perez.

The hostages will reportedly be brought to a hospital once they are freed.

Perez will be turned over to the Archdiocese of Butuan who will have custody over him while the cases against him are being heard.