ZAMBONGA CITY, Philippines – Abu Sayyaf bandits holding two Germans captive have postponed the beheading of one of the hostages, the group’s spokesman said yesterday.
In a phone interview, Abu Rami told journalists that they reset the beheading from Oct. 10 to 17, at about 3 p.m.
The bandits said setting the Oct. 10 deadline was just meant as a warning that they were ready to execute their plan, should the Philippine and German governments fail to heed their demands issued last Monday.
The group wants P250 million in ransom and for Germany to drop its support for the US government campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in exchange for the release of Stefan Viktor Okonek, 74, and Henrike Dielen, 55.
The Germans were seized last April while sailing near Rio Tubbataha off Palawan. They were later brought to Sulu.
Abu Rami said they have not yet told the captives of their decision and ultimatum.
“We will just tell them a day before the execution,” he said.
Abu Rami said they decided to behead one of the captives to show they were serious with their warnings.
He said the German government has not contacted them to negotiate for the hostages.
“We felt we were insulted by that government,” Abu Rami said.
He said ransom was not their priority, as it would be distributed to the people for their livelihood and to strengthen their force.
He also said they were not asking for financial support from the ISIS since they have been promised assistance.
Abu Rami said the deployment of additional troops in Sulu has not affected their decision, but they could not ensure the safety of the hostages in case of an encounter.