ABDUCTION ON SAMAL ISLAND Armed men abducted Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall (inset photos), Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, and a Filipino woman identified only as Tess on the Island Garden City of Samal, just off Davao City, on Monday night. Photo taken on Sept. 19 shows the Norwegian shipbuilder and caretaker of Oceanview Marina posing beside his newly finished catamaran twin-hull yacht at Barangay Camudmud on Samal Island. INSET PHOTOS COURTESY OF AFP EASTERN MINDANAO COMMAND
AMID claims that the three foreigners and a Filipino abducted by armed men in Samal last week had been brought to Sulu, the military said they received no reports of sightings of the victims in the province.
“There is still no proof,” Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu said on Tuesday.
“It’s all over the news but until it is confirmed we won’t announce that they are here,” he added.
The hostages – Canadian John Ridsdel, 68, Robert Hall, 50; Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstan and Hall’s Filipina girlfriend identified as “Tess” – were snatched by armed men from a luxury resort Monday last week.
Reports said that the captives are already in Sulu, following the sightings of motorboats with twin engines over the weekend. These are believed to have been used in transporting the captives.
The Abu Sayyaf Group, a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda which holds its main base in Sulu, is known for kidnap-for-ransom activities in Mindanao but the military has yet to confirm that the group is behind the recent abduction.
Arrojado said his troops are conducting operations in all areas in Sulu where the captives were reported being held.
“There is no lull time. We are on our eighth day of operations in Patikul and Talipao. Sorry there is still no confirmation through photo or video evidence so it is still useless because all these reports are still for validation,” he said.
“We have been receiving a lot of information but there is still no evidence,” he added.
At present, the Abu Sayyaf are holding nine hostages in Sulu– four foreigners and five Filipinos.