Filipino group kidnaps Malaysian fishers – report

From Malaya Business Insight (Sep 11): Filipino group kidnaps Malaysian fishers – report

THREE Malaysian fishermen were abducted allegedly by a group of Filipinos off Semporna in Malaysia on Saturday night, according to a report of Malaysia’s The Star Online.

AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, asked if the Abu Sayyaf was involved or if the victims were brought to Sulu or other parts of Mindanao, said the Philippine military is still verifying the abduction.

“There is an initial report but it’s still for validation,” he said.

The reported abduction occurred around a month after defense chiefs of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines held met in Indonesia to discuss measures to end the rising number of kidnappings in the region.

The Star Online said the incident took place around 10:20 p.m. near Pulau Pom Pom resort. It said the kidnapping was perpetrated by seven Filipino armed men who are believed to have taken the trawler crew members to the southern Philippines.

It did not mention the Abu Sayyaf which is blamed for a series of kidnapping of dozens of Malaysian and Indonesian tugboat crew members in Indonesian, Malaysian and Philippine waters over the past months. Some of the kidnap victims have been released after reportedly paying ransom.

The Abu Sayyaf is still keeping around 20 foreign and Filipino hostages in Sulu, including eight Indonesian and five Malaysian tugboat crew members.

The Star Online said the fishing trawler had 11 crew members but only three of them were seized. It said the rest of the crew members steered the trawler to the Semporna jetty.

It quoted Eastern Sabah Security Command chief Datuk Wan Abdul Bari Abdul Khalid as confirming the report. Khalid said they learned of the kidnapping from the owners of a fishing trawler at 1:59 a.m. yesterday.

The Malaysian New Straits Times quoted Khalid as saying: “The owner claimed that gunmen had stormed his vessel with three people on board and kidnapped the crew members, including boat captain and a mechanic... So far, they are believed to have been taken to a neighboring country.”

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana met last month with Malaysian defense minister Dato Seri HishammuddinTun Hussein and Indonesian defense chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu in  Bali to discuss common maritime concerns, including kidnapping.

The defense department said the three defense chiefs agreed, among others, to “encourage the operationalization” of a standard operating procedure “for maritime patrol and rendering immediate assistance.”

The three also agreed to explore “coordinated activities” among the armed forces of the three countries, a trilateral database-sharing mechanism, and joint border patrol to address maritime concerns.

The three aired their concern “over the repeated incidents of armed robbery and kidnapping at sea in the maritime areas of common concern to the three countries” and “re-affirmed their commitment to address such threats.”

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/filipino-group-kidnaps-malaysian-fishers-%E2%80%93-report