Phl to rescue German hostages: Official

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine authorities are exerting all efforts to secure the release of the two German hostages being held by militants in southern province of Sulu, a senior government official said today.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. issued the statement amid threat of the Abu Sayyaf bandits to execute the 71-year-old German doctor, one of the hostages, on Friday at 3:00 p.m. local time if their demands were not met.

"The Philippine government is exerting all efforts to secure the safe release of the German hostages. We shall continue to pursue this objective," he said.

The Abu Sayyaf militants are demanding the payment of P250-million ($5.57 million) ransom and that Germany refrain from supporting the US -led attack against the Islamic State (IS) rebels in Syria and Iraq.