Philippine militants demand RM91mil ransom each for hostages
A handout picture released by the Philippine Army Jolo Command shows police investigators conducting initial identification on the body of Korean kidnap victim Nwi Seong Hong in Jolo, Sulu island, southern Philippines on Nov 1. – EPA
MANILA: A small but violent al Qaeda-linked Islamist group in the Philippines has demanded a billion pesos (RM91mil) each for three men and a woman captured at a beach resort in September, one of the victims said in a video.
The men, two Canadians and a Norwegian, and the Filipino woman were shown in a video clip posted on Twitter crouching on the ground with masked men wielding machetes standing over them and threatening to kill them.
The Philippine police said it would not negotiate with the militants.
"The Philippine National Police adheres to the principle of no-ransom policy based on government's policy," said police spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor.
The army declined to comment but one military official said the ransom demand was "incredible".
The hostages are believed to be held in the jungle on the southern island of Jolo, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, known for bomb attacks, beheadings and kidnappings.
"There is an ongoing operation, our operations continue to make sure the safety of the, that is the primordial concern of Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines - the safety of the victims," Mayor said.
"At the moment, we have not pointed to a specific group yet behind the hostage-taking. But whatever group it is, as long as they are caught, they will be sanctioned under our laws," he added.
The one minute, 27 second video clip was posted on Twitter by the Site Intelligence Group, which tracks militant groups.
Last month, the militants released a longer video that showed the captives for the first time since they were taken, appealing to the Philippine and Canadian governments to heed rebel demands and halt an army offensive on Jolo.
Ridsdel also spoke in the first video as did the two other men. The woman did not speak.
The army identified the four in September as having been taken hostage.
The raid on the resort was a reminder of insecurity in the south despite a 2014 peace agreement with the largest Muslim rebel group that ended 45 years of conflict.
The Abu Sayyaf militants are holding other foreigners including one from the Netherlands, one from Japan, two from Malaysia and an Italian missionary.
Last week, a 70 year-old Korean man died in captivity and his body was placed in a sack and abandoned on Jolo.In 2014, the Abu Sayyaf freed a German couple after months of captivity after reports of a 270 million peso (RM24mil) ransom. Philippine and German authorities denied any ransom was paid. – Reuters
