GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Local fishermen rescued two Indonesian fishermen drifting off Pujada Bay in Davao Oriental for more than two weeks.
Commander Antolin Cayabo, head of the Coast Guard station here, identified the rescued Indonesians as Bukhari Mandea, 46, and Abdul Rahman Mandea, 30, both from Bere-bere, Maluku Utara, Indonesia.
Cayabo said the Indonesians were rescued last August 7 by the crew of a fishing vessel owned by Atlantis Fishing Corp. based in this city while on a fishing expedition some 200 nautical miles off Pujada Bay.
The Indonesian fishermen claimed that their fishing vessel developed engine trouble after it was battered by big waves while fishing within Indonesian waters last July 20.
They were unable to re-navigate the vessel in the absence of navigational equipment and drifted into Philippine waters.
The Indonesians were turned over by the Filipino fishermen to Coast Guard personnel here last Wednesday.
Personnel of the Coast Guard Medical Clinic led by Ensign Julie Pearl Jubelag provided medical assistance to the Indonesian fishermen before they were turned over to Josephat Layang, liason officer of the Indonesian consulate office.