Indonesian sailor Mohammad Safyan, one of seven crew members abducted from a tugboat named Charles near the Philippine border in June, has escaped from his Abu Sayyaf abductors in Sulu.
Safyan was found along the shore of Barangay Bual in Luuk, in the southern side of Jolo, on Wed, Aug 17.
He told Maj. Filemon Tan Jr, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command, that Abu Sayyaf bandits had declared that they would execute him, prompting him to try to escape in the mangroves between the villages of Bual and Bato-Itum.
Associated Press reports that residents rescued Safyan, who got entangled among fishnets near the shore, by taking him to the municipal police station in Luuk.
Another AP report later revealed that shortly after Safyan’s escape, another Indonesian hostage, identified as Ismail, also managed to flee from their captors. It turns out that Ismail was the chief officer of the tugboat that Safyan was abducted from.
There are still around 15 other foreign hostages, including eight Indonesians, being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf.
