‘Human rights are only for humans’

Canadians as we know it are normally happy people. Canada is one of the most developed countries in the world and has the tenth highest per capita income, with the quality of life ranked among the best on a global scale. Canadian citizens are helpful and compassionate, as seen in their overwhelming response to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda, with individual Canadians donating over $90 million – which the Canadian government matched.

Canadian Ambassador Neil Reeder told us that a relief fund of P700 million had been allocated by his government for the long-term rehabilitation of Yolanda affected areas, which makes it doubly mortifying that a second blow has been dealt the Canadian government and its people when Robert Hall – one of the victims kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in September last year – was beheaded last June 13. Another Canadian, mining executive John Ridsdel, had been beheaded last April when ransom demands by his ASG captors were not met.

A Canadian national who knew Hall was very emotional when he told us he knew the 68-year-old victim as a very nice person who loved life so much, always ready for the next adventure and went after anything that he set his heart to – and he did, sailing halfway across the world to be with his Filipina girlfriend. He loved everything about the Philippines especially the warmth of the people.

He found his own version of paradise in the Philippines, his family said, choosing to live in Davao which is supposed to be one of the safest places in this part of the world, becoming friendly with the locals and the other expats. The Canadian told me they were devastated to see the frail, gaunt-looking man Hall had become during his captivity through a video released by the kidnappers just before the man was beheaded.

Now more than ever, there is worldwide outrage against terror groups like the Abu Sayyaf Group whose links with the ISIS has made the members even more brutal and vicious, torturing and mutilating victims who have not done anything to deserve such a fate. These people have no compunction at all when it comes to killing innocent men and women, and they are spreading their poison to others like what happened in the gruesome massacre in Orlando, Florida where a shooter – who had pledged allegiance to ISIS – went inside a bar and killed 50 people.

While Hall’s family is grieving, they have remained strong and steadfast, saying that they wholeheartedly agree with the Canadian government’s policy of not paying ransom to terrorists. “We stand with the ideals that built this country; strength of character, resilience of spirit, and refusal to succumb to the demands of the wretched in order to satisfy the bloodlust of the weak. We will persevere,” the Hall family said in a statement.

I received emails from all over the world that share the same sentiment, saying they demand justice and do not want these criminals to get away with these barbaric acts.  Our international image is back to an all-time low. Filipinos would like to see a strong response against these barbarians. Our incoming president, who has a reputation for his hard stance when it comes to dealing with criminals, will hopefully be able to get rid of these barbarians. After all, there is a link between drugs and terrorism. The illegal drug trade is now a billion-dollar global industry that has become a major source of terrorist funding – for fast boats, explosives, recruitment and other activities like bombings and kidnappings.

The beheading of Robert Hall has once again given the country a negative image, picturing it as a very dangerous place for tourists. Who would think that the Abu Sayyaf could freely roam around even in President Duterte’s own backyard, a supposedly peaceful place – with the kidnapping of Hall and his companions taking place in Samal Island. In fact, there was even an attempt in the Floirendo family’s Pearl Farm resort in Davao, but the terrorists were turned back by well-armed security guards equipped with high-powered firearms.

We have been trying to get rid of the Abu Sayyaf for years. We recall the high-profile kidnappings by this group, among them the Dos Palmas kidnapping in May 2001 when the militant group abducted Martin and Gracia Burnham who were at the resort to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary. Other abductions have since followed – International Red Cross delegates doing field work in Patikul, Sulu; local and international journalists; and retired Italian priest Rolando del Torchio. Several beheadings have also taken place.

According to latest reports, some 5,000 troops have been deployed to go after the ASG – whose number has dwindled to 400, yet has remained elusive all these years because they have an informal network of supporters from the local populace who provide them with intelligence information, according to our intelligence sources. No wonder the Abu Sayyaf spokesman confidently said their group will be hard to locate since, as a military official admitted, the bandits have relatives “who hide them – making it difficult for us to go after them especially with human rights groups defending these terrorists instead of our troops.”

With the growing violence, we will not be surprised if members of the international community will “look the other way” on the issue of the death penalty and human rights when it comes to terrorists and murderers. Like most Filipinos all over the world, we are convinced that there is no such thing as human rights when dealing with monsters. As one intelligence officer bluntly put it, “Human rights are only for humans.”

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