Troops check reported abduction of 6 Vietnamese off Tawi-Tawi

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 20): Troops check reported abduction of 6 Vietnamese off Tawi-Tawi

The military is checking the veracity that six Vietnamese crew of an international vessel were seized by gunmen in the high seas of Tawi-Tawi.

Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer, disclosed that initial information indicated the six Vietnamese were among the crewmen of a vessel sighted by fishermen in the vicinity of the Turtle Islands municipality in the province of Tawi-Tawi.

The Turtle Islands municipality is located at the south-western tip of the country, at the edge of the international treaty limits separating the Philippines and Malaysia.

Petinglay said elements of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-8 (MBLT-8), upon receipt of report proceeded to Turtle Islands and found 10 crewmen aboard the vessel, which appeared to have been hijacked.

Petinglay said the fishermen spotted the vessel around 8 a.m. Monday, February 20, near the Turtle Islands town.

“Currently, the ship is escorted to the nearest dock in order to have the crew, who seems to be Vietnamese, interviewed by an interpreter,” she said.

She said according to initial information, the troops gathered that six Vietnamese were abducted but they cannot still confirm due to communication gap.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=965673