ZAMBOANGA CITY – Government troops have rescued three Indonesian kidnap victims in South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi, the military announced Friday.
Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said that the three rescued Indonesians, namely, Riswanto Hayano, 27; Arizal Kastamiran, 29; and, Arsyad Dahalan, 41 are among the five Indonesian fishermen the Abu Sayyaf bandits seized from a Sabah-registered trawler on January 16, 2020 in the waters between Tambisan and Kuala Meruap, Lahad Datu, Sabah, close to the Philippine sea border.
Vinluan said they were rescued together with a Filipino companion, Sahud Salisim alias Ben Wagas around 10:30 p.m. Thursday off Pasigan Island, South Ubian town.
Salisim is an Abu Sayyaf bandit, according to Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, Joint Task Force Sulu commander.
The Abu Sayyaf bandits killed one of the five, La Baa, 32, who tried to escape, at the height of a clash with government troops on September 29, 2020 in Barangay Maligay, Patikul, Sulu.
It was not known immediately as to the fate of the other one Indonesian, who was not with the three Indonesians rescued Thursday.
Brig. Gen. Arturo Rojas, 2nd Marine Brigade commander, said that the Abu Sayyaf bandits sailed to Tawi-Tawi bringing along the captives with them aboard a junkong as they were evading the ongoing military operations in Sulu.
Rojas, also the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi commander, said that the jungkong, a locally-made motorboat, capsized after it was hit by big waves.
Rojas said another passenger of the jungkong identified as Bensal Jakare was rescued by a passenger vessel along Silandat Island, South Ubian.
Gonzales said they have yet to determine whether Jakare, a resident of Indanan, Sulu, is an Abu Sayyaf bandit.
Rojas said the three rescued Indonesian fishermen and their missing companion were accompanied by five of their kidnappers when the jungkong they were riding capsized.
A search and rescue operation was launched to locate the missing Indonesian kidnap victim and the other passengers of the capsized jungkong. –Nikolai Gonzalo
