Kantner
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza confirmed last night the beheading of 70-year-old German Jurgen Gustav Kantner by the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu Sunday.
In a statement sent to reporters, Dureza said they grieve and strongly condemn the barbaric beheading of another Abu Sayyaf kidnap victim.
“Up to the last moment, many sectors, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, exhausted all efforts to save his life. We all tried our best. But to no avail,” Dureza said.
“Terrorism has no place in a country like ours and we as a people must confront violent extremism every time it rears its ugly head,” he added.
Dureza added that another precious life had been needlessly lost, thus, the need to put a stop to the killing of the innocent and the helpless.
He said that since Kantner’s kidnapping, he has always in been close contact with German authorities in efforts of rescuing him and other kidnap victims.
“We condole with his family, friends and loved ones,” Dureza said.
Kantner was reportedly beheaded by the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Muammar Askali, alias “Abu Rami,” in Sitio Talibang, Barangay Buanza, Indana Sulu, at about 3:30 p.m. after Philippine and German authorities failed to pay a P30-million ransom demand.
The Abu Sayyaf had released a video showing the beheading in the first sign that they carried out a threat to kill him after a ransom deadline lapsed.
AFP Public Affairs Office chief Marine Col. Edgard Arevalo said that they have not yet seen the video.
“Not yet. Is there a video already? Up to now I’m still asking questions. All those I’ve talked to turned negative,” Arevalo said.
“I don’t have any reaction. It’s hard to make any comment to something I haven’t seen,” he added.
“As I have previously said, there are efforts to locate the body if indeed he was beheaded. But for now we don’t want to make any conclusions because what we’re talking about here is the life of a person,” he added.
(With a report from AP) (FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD)