P'pine Embassy equally concerned
Published on: Sunday, May 15, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and several senior campaign officials and supporters of Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in Zamboanga City are equally concerned about the predicaments of the four Malaysian hostages who are kept captives by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).The Malaysian captives are now facing imminent threat of execution if the demand for ransom will not be paid to ASG this month.The Philippine Embassy will continue to closely monitor the developments of the ongoing government rescue operations carried out in Sulu, where the Malaysian sailors and other foreign hostages are kept.ADVERTISEMENT In a telephone conversation yesterday with the group of concerned Filipinos in Sabah headed by Daily Express contributor Nikko Fabian, Philippine Consul Joann Apdal said the Embassy is equally echoeing similar call for the safe release of all the hostages ." We have long been advocating for the release of the hostages and welcomes any group or individuals who support our advocacy," the lady Embassy Consul said.She said the Embassy will continue to coordinate with the relevant authorities both at home and in Malaysia to achieve the desired objective."We are far from loosing hope and will continue to pray for the safe release of all the hostages", she stressed.ADVERTISEMENT Also via telephone conversation, Nikko has been also assured by supporters of the presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte that the open letter posted in the Facebook will reach in their general headquarters in Davao.The source who is not privy to issue official statements said the open letter addressed to President-elect Duterte was read by many people in the city and has been the topic in local television and radio public service programmes.
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On Thursday, a group calling themselves as Concerned Filipinos in Sabah posted an open letter to Mayor Duterte urging the Philippine-elect President Duterte to directly intervene to seek the release of four Malaysian hostages by the Abu Sayyaf group.They urged the President to give the matter top priority due to the imminent threat by the abductors to behead the hostages if no ransom is forthcoming this month.In another decelopment, the leading presidential contender Mayor Duterte was declared the top choice in the official election result in Malaysia.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Duterte secured a total 2,275 votes out of the 3,110 vote cast during the Monday polls.Senator Bongbong Marcos contesting in the vice-president race was the favourite with 1,322 votes against his rival Congresswoman Leni Robredo who only managed to garner votes from the voters in Malaysia.