Beheaded Canadian’s Body Dug Up In Southern Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine troops dug up what they believe is the body of Canadian hostage Robert Hall on Saturday. He was beheaded by Abu Sayyaf extremists more than two weeks ago in the south after a ransom deadline lapsed.

Villagers led troops to a hinterland near Kamuntayan village in Sulu province’s Talipao town, where the militants buried Hall’s body after killing him on June 13. Hall’s head was found abandoned outside a Roman Catholic cathedral, regional military spokesman Maj. Filemon Tan said.

Chances were high that it was Hall’s body, Tan said, citing intelligence reports and help from villagers. Police forensic experts would confirm the identity, he said.

Hall was kidnapped with fellow Canadian John Ridsdel, Norwegian Kjartan Sikkengstad and Filipino Marites Flor in September last year in a yacht-berthing resort on Samal Island, also in the south, and taken by boat to Sulu, a predominantly Muslim and impoverished province 950 kilometres south of Manila.