ZAMBOANGA CITY — Government troops are tracking down the whereabouts of five fishing boat crew seized by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in an island town of Sulu, a military official disclosed Monday.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Joint Task Force Sulu commander, identified the victim as Vergel Arquino, 25; Jushua Ybanes, 23; Emo Fausto, 63; Junald Minalang, 24; and, Spriano Sardido, 53.
All except Arquino, who is from Davao City, are residents of Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. They are all crew of F/B Danvil 8 owned by Danvil Yanoc of Pagadian City.
Sobejana said the victims were seized at around 8:15 p.m. Saturday by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in the island municipality of Pangutaran, Sulu.
He disclosed that the five crewmen were forced to board on two motorized bancas that sped off to unknown direction.
He said Yanoc reported to the Coastguard Station in Pagadian City that his two fishing boats, F/B Danvil 8 and F/B Danvil 2, together with nine ligthboats have took shelter at the port Poblacion in Pangutaran due to bad weather at the time of the abduction.
He said the troops are scouring all the possible areas where the victims could have been taken by the bandits. (PNA)
