Indonesian sailors freed by Abu Sayyaf to be repatriated

Indonesians Lorens Koten, Arakian Emmanuel and Theodorus Kopong (right) pose with Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu (third from left) and Lt. Gen. Mayoralgo de la Cruz on Sept. 18 after their release from captivity by the Abu Sayyaf Group. JULIE ALIPALA/ INQUIRER MINDANAO

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has given the go-signal for the repatriation of seven Indonesian sailors recently freed by Abu Sayyaf bandits.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said he signed last week an order allowing all seven Indonesians to leave the country without paying any immigration fees or fines or securing clearances normally imposed or required by the bureau on departing foreigners.

READ: Abu Sayyaf frees 3 Indonesian hostages–MNLF

Morente said he immediately granted requests by the Indonesian Embassy to waive the immigration requirements on the freed hostages so they could be immediately repatriated to their homeland.

“We granted the requests for humanitarian reasons and in consideration of the sad ordeal they went through while in captivity,” the BI chief said.

The kidnapped Indonesians are Lorens Koten, Arakian Emanuel, Theodorus Kopong, Herman Bin Manggak, Mohammad Sofyan and Ismail.

They were abducted in June while aboard their ship in the Sulu Sea near Sabah, Malaysia./rga

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