Abu Sayyaf threatens captives

From The Standard (Mar 11): Abu Sayyaf threatens captives

ABU Sayyaf extremists holding the three foreigners and Filipino women who were abducted in Samal Island threatened to execute their captives if they do not get the P1-billion ransom for each of the three foreigners within one month.

In a video footage posted on Facebook last March 8, a masked man acting as the group leader presented Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipino Marites Flor who were abducted from a Samal Island beach resort last September.

They are believed to be held in the jungle on Jolo island, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf militant group, which is known for bombs, beheadings and kidnappings.

“We are giving a warning [of] one month for the families to [meet] the demand.
Starting today March 8 until April 8, 2016. Then if you think your policy [non-negotiation] is better for you than the lives of the captives, certainly we will do something terrible against these captives,” the masked man said.

The video showed each of the three foreigners pleading for their governments to accede to the demand, or they will be executed.

Ridsdel appealed to Canadian Prime Minsiter Justin Trudeau and the Canadian people to meet the demand of their captors, otherwise they will be executed.

“Please do what’s needed to meet their demands within one month or they will kill me and they will execute us,” Ridsdel appealed to Canadian Prime Minsiter Justin Trudeau crying as one of the kidnappers poised a machete by his neck.

Sekkingstad, on the other hand, said they are being held somewhere in Sulu Island as he asked his friends to listen to the ultimatum of their captors.

Meanwhile, the military said the video footages have already been submitted to forensic experts to determined their authenticity, but AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the results of the examination have yet to be submitted.

The bandit group are still holding at least nine kidnap victims most of whom foreigner held somewhere in the jungles of Sulu.

The military has intensified its operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group in their various lairs in Sulu and Basilan province and has inflicted several dozens casualties in bloody fighting with security forces.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-main-stories/top-stories/201462/abu-sayyaf-threatens-captives.html