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Indonesian hostage escapees probed by authorities
Philippine authorities are currently inquiring about the two Indonesian sailors who escaped the captivity of Abu Sayyaf militants, an official has said.
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Tug boat Charles 001 enters Semayang Port in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on June 25. (Kompas/Dani Julius Zebua)
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hilippine authorities are currently inquiring about the two Indonesian sailors who escaped the captivity of Abu Sayyaf militants, an official has said..
"Authorities are currently filing a report to obtain details on their conditions during captivity and on their escape," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The sailors, identified as Mohammad Sofyan and Ismail, are currently in Zamboanga and are under the protection of the Indonesian Embassy in the Philippines, Arrmanatha confirmed, adding that Indonesian Ambassador Y. M. Johny J. Lumintang was in Zamboanga with them.
"After the process is finished, they will be taken back to Indonesia," he said, without specifying a time frame for the sailors' return.
Sofyan and Ismal were among two crewmembers aboard tugboat Charles that was hijacked in southern Philippine waters on June 23. The men reportedly escaped together and eventually split up to avoid their captors. They were found on separate occasions by local authorities on Wednesday.
Nine Indonesians still remain held by the Abu Sayyaf group. (dmr)
