Authorities validate all information as search for Indonesian tugboat crewmen continue

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 30): Authorities validate all information as search for Indonesian tugboat crewmen continue

The Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) and the police are continuously gathering information in a bid to locate the whereabouts of the 10 Indonesians reportedly seized by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) off Tawi-Tawi.

Maj. Filemon Tan, Westmincom information officer, on Wednesday said they are constantly conducting intelligence-driven focus military operations to track down the whereabouts of the Indonesians.

The Indonesians, who were crew of a Taiwanese-owned tugboat, were reportedly seized by the Abu Sayyafs while they were en route to Manila from Indonesia passing through the Tawi-Tawi waters.

“We are gathering information and we analyze it,” Tan said, citing they are working along with the police forces.

Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) told the Philippines News Agency that “there is initial information they (Indonesians) were taken to Sulu, but there was no confirmation yet.”

“We are monitoring now where they are,” Hataman said, citing reports indicated the Indonesians were taken at sea and the tugboat was found near the island town of Languyan in Tawi-Tawi province.

“We are on the process of validating the facts surrounding the disappearance of the Indonesians,” Tan said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=871508