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Monday, January 09, 2006
7 missing sailors rescued in Indonesia
By Al Jacinto
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Indonesian authorities have rescued seven Filipino seamen after four days at sea, officials said Sunday.
Southern Philippine navy chief Rufino Lopez said the Filipinos were rescued after their wooden boat, m/l Nurhaida, lost contact with port authorities and drifted inside Indonesian territory.
"All the Filipinos are okay, and they will be repatriated soon," he said.
Lopez said the boat was reported missing in bad weather last December 25, and was found to have drifted near the Indonesian island of Maruwata, where the Filipinos were rescued four days later.
"We received a call from our counterpart in Indonesia that the Filipinos were found near Maruwata Island, and that they are all okay," he said.
He said the boat was returning to Sibutu Island from Simunul in Tawi-Tawi province in the southern Philippines when it developed engine trouble and drifted at sea.
The Philippine Navy mounted a search and rescue operation, but failed to find the boat. It alerted Malaysian and Indonesian authorities about the missing vessel.
The Philippines has forged separate border agreements with Malaysia and Indonesia and are all actively involved in joint maritime patrol. (Sun.Star Zamboanga/Sunnex)
(January 9, 2006 issue)
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