Abu Sayyaf sets ransom deadline

The Abu Sayyaf group has given the families of the three foreigners and Filipino woman seized from Samal island last year until April 25 to pay a much lower ransom in exchange for the victims’ freedom.

In a new video uploaded on YouTube on Friday, the hostages appealed to the victims’ families and their governments to pay P300 million for each of the victims. The abductors had earlier demanded P1 billion each.

A man who introduced himself as John Ridsdel, a Canadian,  said they were told it was the “final, absolute warning.”

“This is an urgent appeal to our governments and families, if P300 million is not paid for me by 3 p.m. of April 25, they will behead me,” said the gaunt-looking Ridsdel.

The other men, who introduced themselves as Robert Hall of Canada and Kjartan Sekkingstad of Norway, made similar appeals while a long knife was held to their neck.