AFP verifies abduction of 10 Filipino fishermen off Sabah

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur –– The military is verifying a report that 10 Filipino fishermen were abducted in the waters off Sabah on Tuesday.

A report obtained by the military here from the Eastern Sabah Security Command said the 10 fishermen were abducted off Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu, Sabah on Tuesday morning, June 18.

“The abductors and kidnapped victims were seen heading towards the direction of Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi,” according to a military intelligence report relayed to the Inquirer by a source.

Col. Armel Tolato, commander of the Philippine Marine Ready Fleet Sulu, declined to comment on the report, except to say it was still being authenticated.

“This is still an allegation. We are still trying to validate the report,” he told the Inquirer by phone on Tuesday night.

The report, quoting the Eastern Sabah Security Command, stated that the kidnapped victims were “all Filipinos from Badjao Samal tribe but based in Sabah, North Borneo.”

The abductors were on board two vessels – a white Yamaha 40-horsepower boat and an orange pumpboat – when the abduction happened, the report added.

The Special Operations Task Force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is being diverted to Tawi-Tawi to scan the area, according to the military intelligence source.

The Joint Task Forces Tawi-Tawi and Sulu have been alerted of the incident, the source added. (Editor: Leti Boniol)