Philippines confirms 2nd Canadian hostage beheaded by Muslim extremist

Philippines authorities on Tuesday confirmed that Muslim extremist guerrillas had beheaded a second Canadian hostage, AFP reports. “We strongly condemn the brutal and senseless murder of Robert Hall, a Canadian national, after being held captive by the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu for the past nine months,” presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma said. The military confirmed that a severed head, believed to be Hall’s, was found near the Jolo Island cathedral on Monday night. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier declared that his government has “every reason to believe” that Hall had been killed by the Abu Sayyaf, the second Canadian captive to be slain by the group this year. The gang had said they would murder Hall if they did not receive a $6.5 million ransom by Monday afternoon. Hall was among four people abducted in September last year from aboard yachts at a tourist resort on Samal Island in the southern Philippines.