From GMA News (Apr 14): Sabah team heading to Mindanao to help free abducted Chinese
A team from Sabah is heading to Mindanao to help free a Chinese tourist abducted, along with a Filipina resort worker, from a floating resort in Sabah last April 2.
The Eastern Sabah Security Command sent a team of officers to southern Philippines for the purpose, Malaysia's Bernama news agency reported late Monday.
Bernama quoted ESSCom head Datuk Mohammad Mentek as saying the agency's officers had held discussions with Filipino intelligence authorities “to find the best way to release the female tourist.”
Mohammad said their findings showed four of the identified suspects involved in the abduction had settled in Semporna without any valid travel documents.
He added three of the four suspects were believed involved in smuggling activities to southernPhilippines
Last April 2, armed men believed to be from the Abu Sayyaf bandit group abducted Filipina resort worker Marcelita Dayawan, 40, and Chinese tourist Gao Hua Yuan, 29.
The gunmen had reportedly demanded RM36.4 million (P500 million or $11 million) for Gao's release, though Mohammad said there was no official claim from the abductors so far.
“Maybe there are other parties that are demanding ransoms,” he said.
On the other hand, Mohammad maintained ESSCom never appointed certain individuals to represent it in negotiations for Gao's release.
He also said ESSCom may introduce a standard operating procedure for companies seeking to set up resorts in the state. He said ESSCom would discuss this Tuesday.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/356893/news/regions/sabah-team-heading-to-mindanao-to-help-free-abducted-chinese
A team from Sabah is heading to Mindanao to help free a Chinese tourist abducted, along with a Filipina resort worker, from a floating resort in Sabah last April 2.
The Eastern Sabah Security Command sent a team of officers to southern Philippines for the purpose, Malaysia's Bernama news agency reported late Monday.
Bernama quoted ESSCom head Datuk Mohammad Mentek as saying the agency's officers had held discussions with Filipino intelligence authorities “to find the best way to release the female tourist.”
Mohammad said their findings showed four of the identified suspects involved in the abduction had settled in Semporna without any valid travel documents.
He added three of the four suspects were believed involved in smuggling activities to southern
Last April 2, armed men believed to be from the Abu Sayyaf bandit group abducted Filipina resort worker Marcelita Dayawan, 40, and Chinese tourist Gao Hua Yuan, 29.
The gunmen had reportedly demanded RM36.4 million (P500 million or $11 million) for Gao's release, though Mohammad said there was no official claim from the abductors so far.
“Maybe there are other parties that are demanding ransoms,” he said.
On the other hand, Mohammad maintained ESSCom never appointed certain individuals to represent it in negotiations for Gao's release.
He also said ESSCom may introduce a standard operating procedure for companies seeking to set up resorts in the state. He said ESSCom would discuss this Tuesday.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/356893/news/regions/sabah-team-heading-to-mindanao-to-help-free-abducted-chinese