MANILA, Philippine — A military official said the likelihood that the Abu Sayyaf beheaded its Canadian captive Robert Hall was high based on different intelligence reports.
Three sources said that Hall was killed around 3:15 p.m. on Monday, a few minutes after the ransom deadline lapsed, Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., spokesman of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said in an interview over CNN Philippines.
But he was quick to add that they are yet to confirm the validity of the intelligence.
"We cannot confirm nor deny that report unless we have formal reports coming in from the intel units on the ground."
He explained that the information must also be validated by other units as lives are involved.
"In this type of information we need to be sure so that we can give exact information, especially when we are talking about lives, families are also involved. We have to be sure."
The Abu Sayyaf earlier demanded a ransom of P300 million for each of the four Samal Island captives — Canadians John Ridsdel and Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipina Marites Flor — who were abducted last September 2015 from the Holiday Oceanview Samal Resort.
Ridsdel was the first to be killed last April 25, drawing condemnation from Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The terror group has raised its ransom demand to P600 million for the remaining three captives after Ridsdel's death.
No information was received regarding the two other captives but Tan said the military is doing its "best to find out what is the latest on the ground." — with a report from Roel Pareñ?o