The kidnapping cycle continues.
“Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza revealed that the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) kidnapped five more Malaysians from Lahad Datu, Sabah,on Mon afternoon, Jul 18,” reports Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez on GMA News Online.
Earlier this month, the group had also kidnapped three Indonesian fishermen who were working on a fishing boat off Lahad Datu in the Malaysian part of northern Borneo.
In a press briefing at Malacañang on Tue, Jul 19, Dureza said: “I heard today that they took five more Malaysians in Lahad Datu and the Indonesians are still there.”
Dureza added that “there are efforts” from Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari’s group to help the military in its operations against the Abu Sayyaf.
Dureza stated, “They like to do coordination with military forces on the ground. They want to help in addressing the criminal acts by Abu Sayyaf.”
The report noted: “Meanwhile at the military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, officials said they are still validating the information.”
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla told reporters, “The AFP has taken cognizance of unconfirmed information and certain news reports of the possible abduction of mariners of a certain nationality in the area between Tawi-Tawi and Sabah that occurred sometime in the last two days.”
Padilla emphasized that the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command will “seek to validate it at the soonest time possible.”
