Military yet to recover body of beheaded Canadian hostage

From The Daily Tribune (Jan 20): Military yet to recover body of beheaded Canadian hostage

Government authorities have yet to recover the body of Canadian Robert Hall — one week after he was beheaded by his Abu Sayyaf captors in Sulu.

Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), said that troops continued to scour areas where Hall could have been killed by the Abu Sayyaf but the efforts yielded negative results.

“We have negative results as of now. Our operations are continuing but we have not found the body of Hall,” Tan said.

Hall was beheaded last June 13 after the 3 p.m. deadline for the payment of P600-million ransom expired.

Hall’s head was found hours after the deadline lapsed in the vicinity of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo.

“We are doing our best to recover the body,” Tan added.

Hall is the second Canadian captive beheaded by the bandit group this year after his compatriot John Ridsdel was also mutilated last April 25 after he failed to pay P300-million ransom.

Ridsdel’s head was found in front of the Jolo town hall hours after he was beheaded while his body was recovered in the jugnles of Sulu days later.

Hall and Ridsdel were among the four hostages taken by the terrorists during a raid at the posh Oceanview Resort on Samal Island last September.

The two remaining Samal hostages — Filipino Marites Flor and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, are still being kept by the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

The Abu Sayyaf threatened to behead Sekkingstad if their P600 million demand is not met.

Aside from Flor and Sekkingstad, the military said the Abu Sayyaf Group is still holding five captives.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/military-yet-to-recover-body-of-beheaded-canadian-hostage