Zamboanga City — Ten Indonesian sailors abducted by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits were freed in Jolo, Sulu, yesterday after five weeks in captivity, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said. Unknown men dropped off the 10 tugboat crewmen at the home of Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan Jr. on the remote island of Jolo, during a heavy midday downpour, Jolo police chief Junpikar Sitin told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) by telephone. “The report (of their release) is confirmed. They were there. I saw them,” Superintendent Sitin added. The condition of the former captives was not immediately known, though Sitin said the group ate lunch at the governor’s home. They were abducted on March 26 by gunmen described by Philippine authorities as members of the Abu Sayyaf, a small group of militants based in Jolo and nearby Basilan island which is accused of kidnappings and deadly bombings. The militants are reported to [...]
