TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu expressed his appreciation toward Philippine authority’s coordination in addressing the hostage situation despite being in the middle of government transition.
“The coordination is going very well. Philippines takes the hostage situation seriously,” Ryamizard said at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, June 29, 2016.
Ryamizard revealed that Philippines has provided Indonesia with access to enter its territory. He is also in communication with the Philippine Defense Minister to hunt down kidnapers to the land.
The Minister added that about 6,000 Philippine military personnel have surrounded the location where hostages are being held. Ryamizard hopes that the seven Indonesian hostages are safe.
In the future, the Indonesian Military and the Philippine Ministry will work to discuss the security of vessels carrying coal in sea boundaries. According to Ryamizard, routes to be passed by vessels will be secured by authorities of each country before the vessels are being handed over.
Earlier, seven of 13 Charles 001 tugboat crewmen have been held as hostage by two armed groups in south Philippine waters on June 21, 2016. Based on information given by a survivor, one of the hijackers spoke Malay and carried a rifle.
The Transportation Ministry has issued a ban on vessels to sail through the route passed by the Charles 001 tugboat. To prevent the incident from recurring, Ryamizard said that he would brief ship owners and disseminate the list of safe routes.
ADITYA BUDIMAN
