JAKARTA—Indonesia continues to coordinate with the Philippines to secure the release of 10 of its citizens being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group, Chief of Indonesian Armed Forces, General Gatot Nurmantyo, stated here Wednesday.
“As has been conveyed by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, our priority is to free our citizens. Based on monitoring and coordination with the Philippine team, their location has been traced, and it is in the Philippines,” he stated.
“They have detected the location, and I will continue to coordinate with them and will be ready to offer assistance if they need anything from us,” he remarked at the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.
With regard to the preparations, this is “my business,” he emphasized.
Based on information from the foreign ministry, the hijacking of the Indonesian-flagged Brahma 12 and Anand 12 vessels occurred while they were sailing from Sungai Puting in South Kalimantan to Batangas, South Philippines.
“It is not known exactly when the hijacking occurred. The ships’ owners only came to know of it on March 26 when they received a telephone call from someone claiming to be from the Abu Sayyaf group,” Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman, Arrmanatha Nasir, revealed.
Brahma 12 has been released and is now with the Philippine authorities, while Anand 12 and the 10 crew members are still being held by the hijackers.
A conversation with the ship owners revealed that the hijackers had demanded a ransom.