Hanoi (VNA) – Philippine authorities have exhumed a cadaver that was supposed to be thebody of Pham Minh Tuan, captain of ship Royal 16 who was kidnapped in the Philippineson November 11, 2016.
The exhumation was madeat the request of the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines.
The remains are scheduled to be transported to Manila on December 11 forpreservation and DNA testing.
Vietnam’s relevantagencies will closely coordinate with the Philippines during the process ofverification, the embassy said.
If the remains areconfirmed to be Tuan’s, the embassy will promptly complete relevant proceduresto bring him home.
Royal 16, with 19 crewmembers aboard, was carrying cement from Vietnam’snortheastern province of Quang Ninh to the Philippines when it was attacked bypirates.
The pirates kept six crew members, including the captain, as hostagesand released the remainders.
Meanwhile, the Philippines authorities said Royal16 was attacked by an armed group whilesailing 20km off Basilan island, a bastion of the Abu Sayyaf rebel group.
Two crewmembers, including a wounded person, escaped and were rescued byanother boat. The armed group ran away together with the hostages.-VNA