Family of slain hostage says it backs Canada’s policy not to pay ransom
OTTAWA: Relatives of a Canadian man whose expansive, romantic life was cut short by terrorists in the Philippines say despite the tragic end to his story, they agree with Canada’s policy of not paying ransom for hostages.
Robert Hall, an adventurous nomad in his late 60s who called his new home a paradise on earth, was captured by a militant group called Abu Sayyaf in September 2015 and was beheaded earlier this week after a deadline for a ransom payment passed.
In a statement distributed by the press gallery in Ottawa on Tuesday, Hall’s family said the efforts to free him were “vast and exhaustive” but in the end, they agree with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s directive that money not be paid to hostage takers.
“Our family, even in our darkest hour, agrees wholeheartedly with Canada’s policy of not paying ransom to those who would seek to undermine the fundamental values with which my father lived his life,” said the statement.