KOTA KINABALU: One of the Sarawakian crew members abducted by Filipino gunmen, is believed to have made a phone call to his father in Sibu Tuesday evening.
Sabah Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Awang Sahari Em Hadzeer however said police were still establishing whether the contact was made between the kidnappers and the hostages’ families.
“We are still looking into certain matters concerning report on the contact made,” he said when met at the State police headquarters in Kepayan, here.
On April 1, Filipino gunmen abducted two brothers Wong Teck Chii, 29 and Wong Teck Kang, 31; and their cousins Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21 and Wong Hung Sing, 34 in Ligtan waters off Semporna.
The four relatives were travelling in a tugboat along with six other crew men when the armed group stormed the vessel. They were reportedly taken to Indanan, Jolo in the southern Philippines.
According to a local report, Teck Kang contacted his father to inform that they were safe but did not reveal their whereabouts.
This was confirmed by Johnny’s mother. It was reported that Johnny’s mother did not reveal whether the kidnappers had demanded ransom.