Military remains clueless on fate of missing German couple

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - More than a week after a German couple went missing off the waters of Palawan, a military official said today that authorities have yet to determine whether they have been abducted.

Reports about the supposed kidnapping of Stephan Viktor Okonek, 71; and his wife Herike Diesen, 55, first surfaced last April 25. Their yacht had already been found by the Philippine Coast Guard.

"Everything is still open or possible. We don't want to discount anything. There is still no confirmation (if they were kidnapped). In the meantime, we consider them as missing persons," said Lieutenant General Roy Deveraturda, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command based in the Puerto Princesa City.

Deveraturda said the couple went missing on April 24 or April 25 near Sabah, Malaysia and that there were no witnesses to the incident.

Citing reports, he said the two missing foreigners were on their way to Sabah after they went island-hopping.

Deveraturda also did not discount the possibility that they were seized by members of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

A Chinese tourist and a Filipino hotel worker were seized by armed men from a resort in Sabah last month.