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Friday, March 29, 2024

Jolo folk find head near Sulu cathedral

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A SEVERED head, believed to be that of Canadian hostage Robert Hall, was found in front of a church in Jolo, Sulu Monday night as government failed anew to rescue him and other kidnap victims from the Abu Sayyaf terror group.

“At around 8:45 p.m. today, the head of 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,” said Major Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command.

“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.

Sulu patrol. Soldiers patrol a highway during a search for the body of beheaded Canadian hostage Robert Hall in Indanan town, Sulu on Tuesday. The Abu Sayyaf bandit group said it had beheaded its second Canadian hostage. AFP

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

On Sunday, the ASG issued a statement that it would torture Hall and fellow Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad if their relatives again failed to deliver P600 million in exchange for their safe release.

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According to Tan, the terrorists beheaded Hall 15 minutes after the 3 p.m. deadline while Sekkingstad and Hall’s Filipina girlfriend, Marites Flor, are still in the hands of the ASG. 

Their companion, John Ridsdel, a Canadian, was beheaded in April. All the four hostages were abducted in September 2015 at the Ocean View Samal Resort managed by Hall in Barangay Camudmud, Island Garden City of Samal. The abductors brought them to Sulu.

The beheading of Hall was a taunt by the ASG to incoming President-elect Rodrigo Duterte who has said he would put an end to the terrorism in Basilan and Sulu.

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