Indonesian firm agrees to pay ransom for crew

Indonesian mother Asmizar holding up a mobile phone showing a photograph of her son Wendy Rahadian - one of the ten members of a tugboat crew who were kidnapped by Islamic militants in the Philippines - in Padang, West Sumatra province, on March 31, 2016. PHOTO: AFP.

SINGAPORE: The owner of the Indonesian boats whose 10 crew members are being held hostage by militants in the southern Philippines has agreed to pay 50mil pesos (RM4.2mil) in ransom.

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan confirmed this yesterday, saying the company and the militants, believed to be linked to Abu Sayyaf, may next communicate today or tomorrow.