| 'Bullets flying all over, can't imagine we survived', says Jongkinoh
By Jackson Sawatan
KOTA KINABALU, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- Dive-master Joe Joseph
Jongkinoh, 40, one of the three Malaysians freed by Filipino rebels said he cannot imagine
they survived a military raid to free them yesterday going by the heavy exchange of fire
they were caught in.
"Bullets were flying all over...I can't believe we survived the situation," he
said when contacted in Davao City on Thursday.
He was relating to Bernama the hour-long raid on rebel positions during an operation to
free him and two other compatriots, Mohamad Noh Sulaiman and Kan Wei Chong from their
captors.
The Malaysian trio were formally handed over by Philippine president Joseph Estrada to
Malaysian ambassador M. Hussein in Davao City today.
"We are thankful we're safe and we're very happy...obviously our families in Sabah
are extremely glad as well," said Jongkinoh.
He and Mohamad Noh, manager of the Pandanan Semporna Island Resort and contractor Kan Wei
Chong,were abducted from Pandanan Island by gunmen who later took them to Jolo in southern
Philippines last Sept 10.
In retreating, their captors abandoned the trio as their hideout in Maimbung in Talipao,
about 20 km from Jolo town came under relentless military assaults.
As for their health, Jongkinoh said except for minor cuts and wounds they suffered while
being dragged by the fleeing abductors, they were generally in good health.
"We don't mind the cuts and wounds as long as we're safe," he said during the
brief telephone interview before their trio took a flight to Manila.
They are expected to return to Malaysia tomorrow afternoon.
Upon their abduction from Pandanan Island and while being taken to Jolo by their captors,
they only made one stop over for three hours and only reached there the next day.
He said they were constantly on the move since the Philippine military began pounding
rebel positions since Sept 16 and that " during the chaotic situation they just
literally dragged us along."
On the night they were abducted, he said, the intruders demanded to know why there were
only three of them at the resort island and insisted on knowing the whereabout of the
others.
"We revealed nothing to them lest the rest too would be abducted as well. So they
only captured the three of us," Jongkinoh said.
During the 45 days in captivity, the treatment they received from their captors varied
from day to day, he said.
"While some treated us well, the others were rough and threw tantrums at us. I can
only describe the situation as very dangerous," he said.
Before ending the interview and promising to give a longer one in Sabah tomorrow,
Jongkinoh said he and the two other Malaysians would want their families in Sabah not to
be unduly worried as they are safe now.
"Our message to them is to stop worrying...we'll return home tomorrow
afternoon," he said.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Noh's wife Pakkia Laksmi @ Siti said she was only convinced of the
successful military rescue operation after speaking to her husband personally.
"I could only speak to my husband at 8 am today and only then I was convinced that he
is safe," she told Bernama at their home in Kota Belud, about 90km from here.
She said Mohamad Noh did mention about returning here tomorrow afternoon.
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