Sayyaf beheads kidnapped Filipino village chieftain in Southern Philippines

Rodolfo Buligao

Abu Sayyaf hostages Rodlyn Pagaling, Gringo Villaruz - both Coast Guard personnel - and Aliguay village chieftain Roberto Buligao, and their captors who are believed to be Abu Sayyaf members. (Screen shot from video posted on Facebook.) 

PAGADIAN CITY – Abu Sayyaf rebels have beheaded one of their Filipino captives in the southern Philippines after ransom negotiations failed, security officials said Wednesday.

Officials said the body of Rodolfo Buligao was recovered on a remote village of Lunggang near Maimbung in Sulu province town late Tuesday. A piece of paper with Buligao’s name scribbled on it was also found on top of his body, according to Captain Roy Vincent Trinidad, of the military’s Joint Task Force ZamBaSulTa.

He said Buligao’s captors executed him after a private negotiator failed to meet the rebels’ ransom demand.

“Accordingly, the beheading was executed by the captors of the victim when the negotiator did not meet the amount of ransom demanded by the captors,” Trinidad told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

Buligao, the village chieftain of Aliguay Island in Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte, was kidnapped on May 4 along with Coast Guard personnel Gringo Villaruz and Rodlyn Pagaling. The rebels have reportedly demanded P10 million for the safe release of the trio.

Trinidad, quoting a military report, said negotiations for the release of Villaruz and Pagaling is continuing. “On-going negotiations pa rin, sabay-sabay sila but iba ang negotiator,” he said. (The negotiations are going on but through a different negotiator.)

Trinidad did not say who were negotiating with the Abu Sayyaf, but the rebels earlier warned that they will kill the hostages if the Aquino government fails to pay their ransom demand.

Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Muslim autonomous region, has strongly condemned the beheading of Buligao, and so were provincial officials in Sulu.

“We condemn this heartless and inhuman brutality committed by Abu Sayyaf, a group whose only desire is to sow terror among our people. This is nothing but an evil and cowardly act of terrorism. The perpetrators must be hunted down and be brought to justice and these attacks must be stopped immediately,” Hataman said.

“We offer our condolences to the family of Rodolfo Buligao, the recent victim of a heinous attack. For you we pray courage and peace as we join your clamor for justice,” he added.

The Philippine military said it has coordinated with police authorities and local government of Dapitan to expedite arrest of the perpetrators and facilitate the safe release of the kidnap victims. 

In June, a video posted on Facebook showed the hostages – their eyes covered with handkerchief and hands tied behind their back - begging to the Aquino government to help them, saying their captors have threatened to decapitate all of them if their demands were not met.

It was unknown who originally put up the clip which that ran almost 4 minutes, but the video was shared by viewers on Facebook and can be accessed on this URL: https://www.facebook.com/KupalLordOfficial/videos/728450967276861/?autoplay_reason=user_settings&__mref=message_bubble

The Coast Guard has confirmed the two men in the video were Villaruz and Pagaling, and said it will not pay ransom to the kidnappers.

“Nanawagan (ako) sa pamahalaan na tulungan kami, lalo na si President Aquino, tulungan mo kami…papatayin kami nila. Maawa ka sa amin, sa mga opisyales ng gobyerno, sa pamilya namin tulungan ninyo kami,” the horrified Pagaling said, his voice trembling and body shaking from extreme fear. (I am appealing to the government; particularly to President Aquino to help us…they are threatening to kill us all. Have mercy on us, officials of this government, our families, please help us.)

His companion, Villaruz, also made a similar appeal. “Humihingi kami ng tulong galing sa kataas-taasan pamahalaan sa Pilipinas, Sir, tulungan mo kami, hindi kami puwedeng magtagal dito kasi kukunan kami ng ulo kung yun hinihingi nila ay hindi maibigay. Kung sino ang nakapanood ng video nito tulungan ninyo kami, maawa kayo sa amin.” (We are begging for help to the highest official of the Philippine government, Sir help us. We cannot stay here longer because they will behead us if their demands are not met. Whoever is watching this video, please help us, have pity on us.)

Buligao also appealed to politicians in Dapitan City to help them. “Help us, please have mercy on us,” he said.

One of the armed men in the video, who was clad in a police uniform, read a message from his cell phone and said: “Kami ay nakabihag ng dalawang Coast Guard at isang barangay captain, nanawagan kami na maibigay ninyo ang hinihingi namin sa lalong madaling panahon kung hindi ninyo maibigay ang hinihingi namin ay pupugutan namin ang ulo ng isa sa mga bihag na ito o lahat sila.” (We are holding two Coast Guard and a village chieftain, we are calling on the government to give us our demand soon and if you will not heed to our demand, we shall behead one of the hostages, or all of them.)

The Abu Sayyaf is still holding several Filipino and foreigners they kidnapped elsewhere in southern Philippines.  (With a report from E. Dumaboc)

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