Probe disappearance of Indonesian Navy men, NBI told

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has instructed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate and build up the case of the disappearance of four Indonesian Navy men who went missing near the border of the Philippines and Indonesia last December.

Indonesians Faisal Dwi Andarta, Dian Mahendra, Badnur Rohim and Rizky Dwi Zeptiano were reportedly last seen escorting Filipino fishing vessel FB Nurhana’s captain Hermilito Apura and crewmembers Cleaford Apura and Entoy Lopez to Talaud Island, located north of Sulawesi Island in Indonesia.

“People do not just disappear. When people suddenly disappear without any explanation, it becomes a serious matter that should be investigated. If a crime is committed relative to such disappearances, the responsible persons must be held accountable.

“We need to get to the bottom of this,” Aguirre said in a statement issued last June 14.”

The Nurhana, allegedly owned by the father of General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, was apprehended by Indonesian naval personnel for encroaching into Indonesian territorial waters in the North Sulawesi area in December 2016.

The matter has reportedly been brought to the attention of President Duterte by former North Sulawesi governor S.H. Sarundajang, who has been a friend of Duterte since the early 1990s.