ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A Vietnamese sailor rescued in Basilan after being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf for nine months was flown to Manila Wednesday to be presented to a representative of his government.
Do Trung Huie was presented to the Senior Captain Pham Than Tra — Vietnamese Assistant Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to the Philippines — and Vietnamese Embassy Third Secretary Ngo Tuan Anh by Lt. Gen. Carlito G Galvez, Jr. — commander of the Western Mindanao Command — and R.Adm Rene Medina, chief of Naval Forces Western Mindanao.
The turnover was done behind closed doors by request of the Vietnamese officials, according to Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, spokesperson of the Westmincom. They are expected to fly back to Vietnam later Wednesday.
Do Trung Huie was rescued on Mataja Island off Lantawan town, Basilan last Sunday by Army and Navy personnel.
He was held hostage by his captors for nine months following his abduction and five other crew members of M/V Royal 16 — Pham Minh Tuan, Tran Khac Dung, Hoang Trung Thong, Hoang Van Hai, and Huang Vo — near Sibago Island, Basilan on November 11, 2016.
Petinglay said Hoang Vo, 22, escaped his captors on June 16 while Hoang Trung Thong and Hoang Van Hai were beheaded in the village of Tumahubong, Sumisip town on July 5.
The Abu Sayyaf still holds Pham Minh Tuan and Tran Khac Dung.
Galvez assured the Vietnamese officials and Huie that the military will exert all means to find and rescue the remaining kidnap victims from their Abu Sayyaf captors.
Galvez said aside from the two Vietnamese captives in Basilan, at least four other Vietnamese hostages are also held in Sulu with a Dutch national, seven Indonesians and six Filipinos.