Philippines: Killers of Canadian 'will' be tracked down

By Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines

Security forces promised to bring swift justice Tuesday to members of a Daesh-linked group who killed a Canadian hostage and left his head on a southern Philippines street.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) said in a joint statement that the Abu Sayyaf killers of John Ridsdel -- who had been held hostage with two other foreign nationals and a Filipina since September -- would be tracked down.

"There will be no letup in the determined efforts of the joint AFP-PNP task group's intensive military and law enforcement operations to neutralize these lawless elements and thwart further threats to peace and security."

Late Monday, police in the island province of Sulu confirmed Ridsdel's death in a report that said two unidentified men on a motorcycle had hurled a bag containing his head at a group of young men about to play basketball.

Reports said Sulu Police Chief Supt. Junpikar Sittin had cordoned off the area and a Scene of the Crime team had confirmed that the head belonged to Ridsdel.

The Canadian was kidnapped with fellow Canadian tourist Robert Hall, Norwegian resort manager Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipina Marites Flor from a marina near Mindanao's major coastal commercial center of Davao on Sept. 21.

The kidnappers threatened to behead one of them if a large ransom was not paid by 3 p.m. (0500GMT) Monday.

The Abu Sayyaf initially asked for 1 billion pesos ($21 million) for each of the foreigners, but lowered it to P300 million pesos ($6 million) after moving the deadline from April 8 to April 25.

The trio appeared in videos in March and April pleading to their governments to pay the ransom within the deadlines.

Late Monday, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences to Ridsel's family and condemned his killers in a website statement.

"Canada condemns without reservation the brutality of the hostage-takers, and this unnecessary death. This was an act of cold-blooded murder and responsibility rests squarely with the terrorist group who took him hostage."

Trudeau added that his government was committed to working with the Philippines and international partners to pursue those responsible.

Earlier Monday, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III ordered the police and military to exert all-out efforts to rescue the victims following the lapse of the deadline.

The government, however, maintained its no ransom policy.

Ridsdel, 68, was a former executive of a Canadian mining firm which operates a mine in Zamboanga peninsula and a nickel project in Surigao del Norte province.

The Abu Sayyaf are thought to be holding a number of captives, including 14 Indonesians and four Malaysian crewmen who were abducted at gunpoint from tugboats in southern Philippine waters near the maritime border with Malaysia.

Aside from the remaining Canadian, Norwegian, Indonesian and Malaysian hostages, the Daesh-affiliated group is also believed to be holding a Dutch national kidnapped more than three years ago in Tawi-Tawi, a Chinese woman, and six Filipinos, who were believed to have been taken to Jolo Island in Sulu.

Since 1991, the group -- armed with mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles -- has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortions in a self-determined fight for an independent Islamic province in the Philippines.

It is notorious for beheading victims after ransoms have failed to be paid for their release.

Anadolu Agency correspondent Barry Ellsworth contributed to this story from Trenton, Ontario.