Severed head believed to be of Canadian held by Abu Sayyaf found in front of Jolo Cathedral

From InterAksyon (Jun 13): Severed head believed to be of Canadian held by Abu Sayyaf found in front of Jolo Cathedral



Robert Hall. PHOTO FROM SITE WEBSITE

A severed head, believed to be that of Canadian hostage of Abu Sayyaf Robert Hall, was found Monday night in front of a church in Jolo, Sulu as government failed anew to rescue him and his fellow kidnap victims despite thousands of soldiers deployed to go after the estimated 200-man terror group.

“At around 8:45 p.m. today, the head of what seems to belong to a Caucasian-looking male believed to be that of Canadian kidnap victim Robert Hall was found in front of the gate of the Jolo Cathedral by civilians in the area and were recovered by the Sulu PNP (Philippine National Police) and brought to Kuta Heneral Teodolfo Bautista (KHTB),” Major Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said in a statement.

“We extend our sincerest condolences and commiserate with the family and relatives of the slain kidnap victim. Their loss is our loss too. We feel their pain because we also lost soldiers, brothers in arms, in trying to rescue them,” he added.

Tan clarified though that it will be the police that would issue a confirmatory statement if the severed head was that of Hall’s through DNA test and confirmation from his family.

On Sunday, the Abu Sayyaf issued a statement that was posted on the SITE Intelligence Group website it would torture Hall and Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad if their relatives failed again to deliver the P600 million they were demanding in exchange for hostages' safe release.

According to Tan, the terrorists beheaded Hall 15 minutes after the 3 p.m. deadline.
Sekkingstad and Hall’s Filipina girlfriend, Marites Flor, are still in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf. Their companion, John Ridsdel, a Canadian, was beheaded in April.

All four hostages were abducted in September 2015 at the Ocean View Samal Resort managed by Hall in Barangay Camudmud, Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS). The abductors brought them to Sulu.

The military said it is hell-bent to rescue Sekkignstad and Flor and all other hostages of Abu Sayyaf.

The beheading of Hall may be a taunt by the Abu Sayyaf to incoming President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, who reportedly plans to declare martial law in Sulu and Basilan as a strategy to eliminate the terror group which the military estimates to number about 400 men only.

http://interaksyon.com/article/129006/severed-head-believed-to-be-of-canadian-held-by-abu-sayyaf-found-in-front-of-jolo-cathedral