ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Philippine military has finally confirmed Sunday that 7 Indonesian sailors had been abducted off the Sulu Sea – four days later after news broke out that suspected Abu Sayyaf militants seized the crew members of the tugboat Charles OO off Tawi-Tawi province in the Muslim autonomous region.
It was unknown why the military failed to immediately verify the report, but the official Philippines News Agency quoted Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla as saying the hostages were believed being held in Sulu province.
Padilla, a spokesman for the Philippine military, said the abductions occurred on June 22 on the Indonesian side of the Sulu Sea.
“Information from ground units suggests that the kidnap victims are possibly being held somewhere in Sulu. Joint Task Group is now assessing the situation and will plan for the best course of action to address the given situation,” Padilla said.
Indonesia on Friday confirmed the abduction of the sailors and said that 6 other tugboat crewmembers had been freed by Filipino gunmen and on their way home.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi confirmed the reports at a news conference in Jakarta. Marsudi said the government will do everything possible to ensure the safe release of all the hostages.
The crewmen were earlier reported to have been split into two groups, but Jakarta said the others had been released and that only 7 were taken captive.
The sailors have been identified as Ferry Arifin, the tugboat skipper; M. Mahbrur Dahri, Edi Suryono, Ismail, M.Nasir, M.Sofyan and Robin Piter. The boat – owned by PT Rusianto Brothers – was heading to Samarinda in East Kalimantan following a trip from the Philippines when gunmen on speedboats intercepted it.
Indonesian media reported that the boat captain phoned his wife and told her that they were intercepted at sea by gunmen, who introduced themselves as Abu Sayyaf and were demanding 20 million ringgits for their safe release.
The Abu Sayyaf previously kidnapped 14 Indonesian tugboat crewmembers in separate attacks at sea and brought them to Sulu province and eventually released through the intercession of the Moro National Liberation Front. The militant group has recently beheaded a Malaysian man and two Canadian hostages in Sulu after their family failed to pay ransom money. (Mindanao Examiner)
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