From GMA News Online (Jun 22, 2019): NO RANSOM MONEY//9 hostages found in Sulu after being freed by Abu Sayyaf —reports
The Abu Sayyaf group has released nine hostages earlier abducted off Sabah because the latter had no ransom money to give to their abductors, Philippine and Malaysian authorities were quoted in reports as saying Saturday.
The reports said the nine men were found walking along a road in Talipao town in Sulu on Friday. They were reportedly abducted in the waters off eastern Sabah around 2 a.m. last Tuesday and freed Saturday morning.
Singaporean news outlet The Straits Times said the Sulu police identified the nine men, aged between 17 to 60, as Malaysians, but the Sabah police said they were "Sama-Bajau" people from the Philippines, most of whom are stateless and live at sea.
Malaysian news website Borneo Today said the nine were part of a group of 16 fishermen from Lahad Datu who were traveling to Sempora on board two boats when they were snatched by alleged Abu Sayyaf members.
From Lahad Datu, the men were taken to Sitangkai Island in Tawi-Tawi in southern Philippines.
Sabah police officer, Datuk Omar Mammah, was quoted as saying the men were freed after their captors found no "economic value" in them. The Joint Task Force Sulu, meanwhile, said they were released for having "no money or anything to give as ransom."
The Straits Times report said the men carried "Lepa-Lepa cards" which allow them to live at sea in Malaysian waters, though these are not legally accepted IDs.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/698573/9-hostages-found-in-sulu-after-being-freed-by-abu-sayyaf-reports/story/
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