Body of female foreigner found on yacht

[Jollygoodfellow]

What were they thinking sailing in that area? 

Body of female foreigner found on yacht

 

The body of foreigner has been found in a yacht on the coast of southern Philippines island the day after a self-proclaimed spokesman for a Daesh-linked group claimed that they had kidnapped two German citizens.

Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said in a statement Monday that the female corpse -- believed to be around 50 years old -- had sustained gunshot wounds and was discovered inside a yacht bearing a German flag on Laparan Island, Pangutaran, in Sulu.

"A shotgun was recovered beside the body," Tan said, adding that the the local army unit had immediately sent troops to verify and facilitate the recovery of the yacht for investigation.

On Sunday, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that a phone caller had claimed that the Abu Sayyaf had snatched two German nationals in Tawi-Tawi province in the south, shot one dead, and continued to hold a 70-year-old.

"Unfortunately, the other one died. She tried to shoot us, so we shot her,” the man, who identified himself as Muammar Askali said.

During the brief conversation, Askali allowed the man he described as their new captive to talk to the Inquirer.

The man was reported to have introduced himself as Juegen Kantner, 70, and he identified his female companion only as Sabrina.

He said they were both taken at gunpoint at Tanjung Pisut in Tawi-Tawi.

On Sunday, authorities said that they were trying to verify a report that two Indonesian fishing boat skippers had been seized in a major sea lane and fishing area between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

The kidnappings were reported to have taken place Saturday in separate incidents in Malaysian waters near Tawi-Tawi.

Since 1991, the Abu Sayyaf -- armed with mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles -- has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortions in a self-determined fight for an independent province in the Philippines.

It is notorious for beheading victims after ransoms have failed to be paid for their release.

The Abu Sayyaf is among two militant groups in the south who have pledged allegiance to Daesh, prompting fears during the stalling of a peace process between the government and the country's one-time largest Moro rebel group that it could make inroads in a region torn by decades of armed conflict.

http://aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/philippines-body-of-female-foreigner-found-on-yacht/680077

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

She tried to shoot us

Good for her.  She had more balls than all the men who let themselves get kidnapped and beheaded.

[Nephi]

Although a sad thing, With all the news, expat forums, and embassy travel warnings by most countries on that area; I fail to understnad why these and other people continue to travel and or stay in these locations. Do they not think it can happen to them? Are they risk takers just to see what will happen? Or are they just stupid and go bouncing around the world until their number is up? It's a lousy deal that people get themselves taken and killed. At the same time they get what they have coming by going into these places to begin with. One can only hope that word will spread and might just save some other fools life. This aint Kansas people. How many times does it have to be proven?

[sonjack2847]

I had a trip to Dalaguete planned for next week. I have cancelled it as there was a terrorist warning for that area.As Nephi writes how many warnings do people need.

[Bruce]

3 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Good for her.  She had more balls than all the men who let themselves get kidnapped and beheaded.

Hear! Hear!  

[johnbarley]

On 07/11/2016 at 10:26 PM, sonjack2847 said:

I had a trip to Dalaguete planned for next week. I have cancelled it as there was a terrorist warning for that area.As Nephi writes how many warnings do people need.

I was in Moalboal a couple weeks ago. The place was packed with tourists of the backpacker variety. The locals told me that tourism was booming this year. We'll see how long that lasts.

[robert k]

I read another article that was written after this same man and a woman were taken by Somali pirates. He paid the Somali ransom but claimed he was broke after that. He also said he wasn't worried about pirates that he would sail because that was all he cared about anymore. I don't think there will be a ransom and the lady with him was right to go for the shotgun. I do question why have a shotgun if you aren't worried about pirates.

[davewe]

The sailing history of this guy sounds like he was more than just your ordinary risk taker. Was he a nut, suicidal, or just a person who decided to go wherever he wanted to go without concern about the consequences? Who knows. But what happened to them doesn't have much to do with what happens to Philippines travelers in general. 

There's the old joke about the guy who jumped off a tall building. As he fell past each story he could be heard saying, "So far so good, so far so good."

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/world/asia/philippines-kidnapped-german-sailors.html