Duterte, last hope for family of Filipina Abu Sayyaf hostage

Robert Hall with Filipino girlfriend Marites Flor (inset photo) and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad. INSET PHOTO COURTESY OF AFP EASTERN MINDANAO COMMAND/FACEBOOK

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — With only hours before the deadline for payment of ransom expires on Monday afternoon, the only hope now for the family of a kidnapped Filipina is incoming President Rodrigo Duterte.

Flordelisa Flor, mother of 38-year-old Tess Flor, told the Inquirer on Monday morning that they were losing hope as the clock slowly moved to 3 p.m.

“We are now totally leaving our daughter’s life in the hands of Duterte. I hope he can save her,” Flor told the Inquirer by phone.

Flor said they were told by government agents who visited their home in Bukidnon that apart from the efforts of the present administration, Duterte was also trying to help the kidnap victims.

“There is still hope for my daughter and the other victims. I am pleading Duterte to please do everything to save them,” Flor said.

Flor’s daughter was one of the four victims taken from a marina on the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte on September 21 last year.

Aside from Tess, also kidnapped were her Canadian boyfriend Robert Hall, another Canadian John Ridsdel and Norwegian resort manager Kjartan Sekkinstad.

Ridsdel was beheaded in April this year after the deadline for his ransom expired.

The Abu Sayyaf released a very graphic video of his beheading threatening that the same would happen to the others if their deadline was not met.

The Abu Sayyaf is demanding a P600-million ransom in exchange for the release of the three captives./rga