[Gulf Today] Abu Sayyaf militants have threatened to behead two members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and a village official they kidnapped in Zamboanga del Sur province in early May if their families failed to pay the ransom demanded.The issue flared up when the Abu Sayyaf released a video showing the hostages on their knees, half-naked and blindfolded with the masked gunmen behind them. "We will behead one if not all of them if you will not comply with our demands," one of the terrorists threatened as he held a bolo drawn across the neck of one of the hostages.
Officials said the ransom demands ranged from a high of $2 million from the government to a low of $70,000 for each of the hostages, according to the sister of one of the PCG personnel. She said, "We cannot afford it. I even told one of the captors that they erred when they seized our brother, that we are poor."
Philippine communications secretary Herminio Coloma announced it would stamd firm in its no-ransom policy even as PCG spokesman Armand Balilo, the assured the agency was doing its best to rescue the hostages.
Still unconfirmed reports claim the three hostages have been brought to the island province of Sulu.