Duterte warns Abu Sayyaf: Day of reckoning will come

Mr. Dureza was among the first people Ms. Flor met with after she was released.

Duterte confirmed that there were negotiations for the Filipina’s release, but made no mention if ransom was paid.

Philippine President-elect Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a conference with businessmen in Davao city, southern Philippines June 21, 2016.

NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR Erik Førner (second from left) talks with incoming Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza (center) inside the Davao City Police Office compound on Friday afternoon, while President-elect Duterte was delivering his speech.

The Abu Sayyaf beheaded Hall and Ridsdel after no ransom was paid to spare their lives.

Addressing a meeting of business leaders in Davao City on Tuesday, Duterte said there will soon be a “day of reckoning” with the Abu Sayyaf and promised to dismantle the group. “And when I have it in my hands, I’ll be ready to confront”. Sekkingstad remains in captivity.

On Friday, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said seven Indonesians were abducted by armed men who raided their tugboat and took them to Sulu, in a third such recent attack. The group received funding from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda networ and have since earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom.

“If they see a problem, they throw money at the problem in the hope that the problem goes away with the money”, the source who spoke on anonymity said. A military solution alone is not enough to end the Abu Sayyaf scourge.

Dureza said they have no update yet on the status of Sekkingstad, but he said that they were also waiting for his possible release today. “The kidnapping must stop”.

He said he was still verifying reports that the Abu Sayyaf were unable to cross the rough seas with Sekkingstad.

Duterte said, “There will be a time when I will have to confront the ASG”.

Flor shed tears as she recalled how her fiancé, Hall, was murdered by the Abu Sayyaf. Flor was held by the ASG for nine months. She also thanked the military, police, and Tan that she was able to get out of her ordeal alive even though she lost her partner, Hall.

The diplomat however said he believed that Abu Sayyaf would not behead nationals from Indonesia and Malaysia “because they are fellow Muslims”, the INQUIRER reported.