Headless body believed to belong to 2nd beheaded Canadian found

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Government troops dug up and recovered the headless remains believed to belong to Canadian hostage Robert Hall Saturday shortly before noon in a village of Talipao town, Sulu, according to military official.

Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the troops under the Joint Task Group Sulu (JGTS) recovered the body of Hall about 11:35 a.m. in Barangay Upper Kuntayan. 

Tan said the recovery came after receiving information from the local residents of Barangay Upper Kamuntayan.

He said the remains were immediately exhumed from the shallow grave and brought to the JTGS headquarters in Barangay Busbus, Jolo for documentation before it was turned over to the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) . 

Hall was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf group last June 13 after the Canadian government and his family stood firm on the no ransom policy.

READ: Trudeau outraged by death of Canadian hostage in the Philippines

The captive’s head was later recovered by civilians in front of the gate of the Jolo Cathedral after it was dumped by the Abu Sayyaf group.

READ: Severed head believed to belong to 2nd Canadian captive found

Hall’s fellow captive and compatriot John Ridsdel was also beheaded last April 25 due to the failure to pay the P300-million ransom. 

The two Canadians along with Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Hall’s fiancée Filipina Marites Flor were abducted on September 21 last year in Samal Island resort off Davao province and brought to Sulu as captives by the Abu Sayyaf group.

Last week, the Abu Sayyaf freed Flor but kept Sekkingstad to assert its P300-million ransom for the release of the last Samal captive. 

READ: Abu Sayyaf's Filipina captive freed unharmed l Flor’s release ‘gesture of good will’

Tan said Westmincom decried the barbaric act of the Abu Sayyaf group of beheading its captives, which they described to be contrary to the Islamic teachings.

The military official added they will continue with their focused military operations in Sulu to neutralize members of the Abu Sayyaf group and to rescue the remaining hostages.