By Priam F. Nepomuceno | Philippines News Agency
MARINES attached to the Armed Forces’s Joint Task Force Sulu have rescued two Malaysian seamen from the clutches of the Abu Sayyaf bandits in Pata, Sulu, early Thursday morning.
The rescue took place at around 2 a.m. on the waters off Kalinggalang Caluang near Pata Island, in the said province.
Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, spokesman for the Armed Forces’s Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), identified the rescued Malaysians as Tayudin Anjut, 45, and Abdurahim Bin Sumas, 62. The two, who were held by the bandits for eight months, were rescued by combined elements of the Marine Ready Force Sulu led by Major Angcap, Marine Special Operations Group and Marine Battalion Landing Teams 1 and 3.
Both victims were immediately brought by the troops to the Sulu military station hospital for medical checkup and interview.
“The rescued kidnap victims are weak and in a sickly state when they were rescued by our troops. Military doctors are now attending to them as we speak in our hospital in Sulu,” said Maj. Gen. Carlito G. Galvez Jr., Westmincom chief.
Earlier, the Marines received information that ASG sub-leader Alhabsy Misaya, with about 30 fully armed followers and two Malaysian hostages, was hiding at the mangrove area of Barangay Karudong in Kalinggalang Caluang, Sulu.
This prompted government troops to focus their efforts at the reported area in order to rescue the victims. “This accomplishment is a product of the combined efforts of our soldiers and the different stakeholders in putting pressure on the kidnappers for the past months,” Galvez said.
“Following the successful operation of the Marine troops in Capual Island on February 7, where eight Abu Sayyaf members under Misaya were killed, our troops on the ground have maximized their intelligence monitoring and have been closely pursuing the group of Misaya to safely rescue the hostages,” he added.
“Westmincom troops are continuing pursuit operations against the kidnap-for-ransom groups to rescue the remaining kidnap victims and continue the pressure on the Abu Sayyaf to release their hostages and, possibly, for them to surrender to authorities,” Galvez also said.
Anjut and Sumas were among the five Malaysian crewmen of tugboat Serudung 3 who were kidnapped on July 19, 2016, at the waters off Dent Haven, Tambisan, Lahad Datu, Sabah, by the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Sibih Pissih.
They were reported missing after their tugboat and barge were recovered without crew members in Tanjung Labian, Lahad Datu Sabah.