Abus suspend beheading of Norwegian

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Abu Sayyaf kidnappers have suspended the execution of their hostage, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, after an emissary of Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza called them to negotiate for his release, according to a well-placed source.

The source, who declined to be identified because of the critical stage of the hostage-taking situation, said the emissary had contacted the spokesperson of the terrorist group, Abu Rami.

Dureza was not answering phone calls made by the Inquirer.

Sekkingstad is one of four hostages seized by armed men from a marina in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte in November last year and brought to the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu province. With him were Canadians Robert Hall and John Ridsdel, and Hall’s partner, Filipino Marites Flor.

Hall was beheaded by the kidnappers on June 13 after the bandit group failed to receive the ransom money it had demanded. His head was found later in front of Jolo Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu province, while his body was retrieved on Saturday morning.

Ridsdel suffered the same fate in April. Flor was freed on June 24.

The Abu Sayyaf has been demanding P300 million in exchange for Sekkingstad’s freedom. Rami said his group was aware that ransom was already set for delivery and was just waiting for it.

Rami said the beheading would proceed if the ransom is not paid. “We will execute him anytime we want, and this time we will hide the head,” he said.

As of Monday afternoon, there were no reports that the Abu Sayyaf had carried out its threat.

Earlier, Rami had said his group would kill the Norwegian hostage if Dureza insisted on the government’s no-ransom policy. “There is no more ultimatum, we are going to behead this Norwegian anytime today,” he said.

In an interview with Radyo Mo Network on Monday morning, Sekkingstad called on the Norwegian and Philippine governments to help him.

“I would like to appeal to the Norwegian government and to the Filipino government, the new president, Mr. Duterte, for help, to get me out of here,” he said. “It’s very hard and dangerous to stay here.”

Another group of kidnappers is demanding a P10-million ransom in exchange for a 6-year-old boy it took in Jolo on June 30.

The boy and his elder sister were on their way home from school when they were abducted by motorcycle-riding men on June 30. The men left the girl behind.