Teacher beheaded in Philippines

[ccharles000]

Police in the southern Philippines say the severed head of kidnapped schoolteacher has been found in a bag at a petrol station.

Gabriel Canizares was abducted by Aby Sayyaf militants three weeks ago - his body is still missing.

He was travelling with colleagues on the island of Jolo when he was seized.

The militants had demanded a ransom equivalent to $42,000 (£25,000) for Mr Canizares, which his family refused to pay.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus expressed shock at the teacher's killing, saying six other teachers who had been kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf earlier this year had all been released despite threats to behead them.

He said his department was at a loss as to how to ensure security for public schoolteachers in high-risk areas, and feared that the kidnappings would discourage others from teaching underprivileged youths in Muslim areas.

"We shall make them pay for the enormity of this savagery," President Gloria Arroyo's spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said in a statement after Mr Canizares' head was found.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8349771.stm

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Oh no! :^( That poor family must have been expecting him to be released too.

[vadawg]

2. one thing ive learned in life is dont expect anything when dealing with nutjobs and fanatics..

feel for his family.... wonder if they were advised not to pay..

[charlie]

3. Reporter got it wrong

$42,000 is a whole heck of a lot of money for a teacher's family in the Phillipines.

Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin said miscommunication on the ransom for Canizares' freedom led to the victim's murder.

"There was a miscommunication on the ransom. The kidnappers wanted P2 million and then the offer went down to P500,000 but the family could not afford it," he told ANC's "News at 8." Mendoza said the family only gave P150,000 to the kidnappers.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/11/09/09/kidnapped-school-principal-beheaded-jolo

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Oh, man :^(

[Chemisse]

5. Oh that is really sad - nt