TARLAC CITY, Tarlac?The second of three volunteer health workers abducted by eight armed men on May 19 in La Paz, Tarlac was released Monday night, the leftist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said.

Dave dela Peña, chairman of Bayan Tarlac, said reports relayed by the relatives of Juanito Carabeo, 54, indicate that he has returned to the family home in Bataan.

On Monday morning, Bayan announced that Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas has also returned to her family in Metro Manila after being taken by armed men along with Carabeo and John Edward Jandoc for six days (not seven as earlier reported).

But no statement was given by the family on what exactly happened to her and on the condition of her companions.

Carabeo, Roxas, and Jandoc were taken from a farmer's house in Barangay (Village) Kapanikian in La Paz town by suspected government soldiers last week.

The abductors, all armed and wearing ski masks, arrived on two motorcycles and a Kia Besta van without a license plate, reports from the human rights group Karapatan said.

Dela Peña said Carabeo, 54, phoned his relatives at around 10 p.m. Monday to tell them he was in Bataan and that they should return immediately.

He said Carabeo?s relatives had been staying in Tarlac since May 20, the day they received a text message from an anonymous sender, telling them that Carabeo was missing.

Dela Peña on Tuesday said they have yet to receive details on the abduction of Carabeo's group and how he was able to return home.

Early Monday, the human rights group Karapatan was informed by the family of Roxas that she was back and resting in her house in Quezon City.

Roxas, 31, an American citizen of Filipino descent, is a member of Habi Arts and Bayan USA, the Bayan chapter in the United States. At the time of her abduction, she was working as a volunteer health worker in Tarlac.

Dela Peña said they were still trying to determine if Jandoc, 16, had returned to his hometown in Aurora.

While relatives of the victims suspected the military of abducting the three, Major Rosendo Armas, information officer of the military's Northern Luzon Command based at Camp Servillano Aquino here, denied any military participation.