Police were preparing security for Monday’s nationwide village elections when they clashed with around 40 guerrillas in northeastern Quezon province’s San Andres township. It was feared that the three had been abducted after Sunday’s battle and checkpoints were set up to search for them.

Senior Inspector Glenn Miralles and the two other policemen were found Monday morning near the hilly clash site, said Senior Superintendent Erickson Velasquez, the provincial police chief. The three lost contact with their colleagues and spent the night hiding on the side of a ridge.

He said three other policemen were wounded in the shootout, while at least one rebel was killed.

Fighting between the rebels and soldiers called in to help out the police continued through the night, Velasquez said.

Another brief clash erupted midday Monday, but no one was hurt.

The Philippines’ 41-year Marxist rebellion has been one of Asia’s longest and bloodiest. More than 120,000 combatants and civilians have died in the rural-based rebellion.

The police and military have been on full alert for Monday’s election in the country’s 42,025 villages. A total of 672,400 seats for village and youth council leaders and members are up for election.

Police officials said at least 29 people have been killed and 12 wounded in 40 violent incidents related to the polls since the election period started Sept. 25.

The latest deaths were a village chief who was shot Sunday by hooded attackers in northern La Union province’s Bacnotan township and a candidate for village councilman who was shot Saturday in central Iloilo.