The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) is ascertaining the whereabouts of a South Korean cargo ship captain and Filipino crew member abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists off Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, on Thursday.
The military has yet to release a full report on the incident. The Wesmincom based in Zamboanga City said it had dispatched its Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi to track down the hostage-takers.
Monitoring
“Validation and intelligence monitoring are currently being conducted by the military in coordination with local chief executives and the locals to track down the perpetrators and safely rescue the victims,” Wesmincom spokesperson Maj. Filemon Tan said in a statement.
Tan said 10 armed men on a speedboat believed to be Abu Sayyaf members boarded the M/V Dong Bang Giant and took Capt. Park Chul Hong and crew member Glenn Alindajao, a Cebuano.
Tan said the other crewmen were not taken and one managed to call his family, who reported the abduction to authorities.
The ship was on its way to South Korea from Australia. —WITH REPORTS FROM KARLO MANLUPIG, AP