From left: Kjartan Sekkingstad, John Ridsel, Robert Hall, and Marithes "Tess" Flor
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte confirmed on Sunday (September 27) that the four people kidnapped at the Holiday Oceanview Samal Resort on
The four
kidnapped victims were identified as Kjartan Sekkingstad, Norwegian operations
manager of the resort; Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, and Marithes
Flore, the Filipina girlfriend of Hall.
In his weekly
television program Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa, Duterte said that
intelligence sources confirmed the arrival of the kidnappers and their victims
in Sulu.
"They are
now in Sulu," he said. "They are already there. They have entered. We
have also verified from all sources and indicate that they are now in Sulu.
"As to what
is their objective here since they have not yet made any ransom demands, we
will never know until such time that they will communicate with the
authorities."
He also confirmed
that the Samal kidnappers are "allied with the Abu Sayyaf Group."
On Saturday,
Duterte flew to Zamboanga
City
He appealed to
the kidnappers to release the victims the soonest possible time.
Earlier reports
showed an intelligence source indicated that "Tanum group from Patikul
were the ones who forcibly took the foreigners from Samal Island
Tanum is a
village in Patikul, Sulu that's been known as a lair of the Abu Sayyaf Group,
which has been involved in several kidnappings.
The intelligence
source, as stated in a report, revealed that the kidnappers and their victims
arrived aboard a white speedboat in Barangay Kaunayan in Patikul, Sulu around
12:30 p.m. of Tuesday, September 22, or roughly 13 hours after the abduction.
The intelligence
report was however raw and is still subject for verification, as stated by the
source.
Asked for their
reaction on Duterte's seeming confirmation that the kidnap victims are indeed
in Sulu now, Chief Supt. Federico Dulay, head of the Special Investigative Task
Group Oceanview, refused to confirm nor deny the suspicion.
He said what they
were focusing on now was the gathering of enough evidence so they could file
charges against the kidnappers.
"We are
receiving many reports and gathering additional information for the validation
of said reports. Hopefully we can gather enough evidence to support the filing
of cases. We ask for your understanding, considering the sensitivity of this
matter, we have to take into account the safety of the victims," Dulay
said.
Army Capt.
Alberto Caber, Eastern Mindanao Command spokesperson, also did not confirm nor
deny the information. He just said that, if Duterte had confirmed such, then it
could be based on hard evidence.
Based on the SITG
Oceanview's latest report, the kidnappers have also taken the iPod and iPhone
of a couple in the said resort but did not bring along with them when they left
the resort.
The said gadgets
have SIM packs with them that could be traced by the authorities to determine
their location.
http://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2015/09/27/Kidnapping-victims-now-in-Sulu-says-Duterte.html
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