Kidnapped barangay chairman in Sulu found beheaded

Published August 12, 2015 9:10am

(Updated 11:50 a.m.) Suspected Abu Sayyaf Group members abandoned the decapitated body of a barangay chairman in Maimbung town in Sulu province on Tuesday night.

A report from the Sulu Police Provincial Office (PPO) identified the beheaded victim as Rodolfo E. Buligao, chairman of Barangay Aliguay Island in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.

The victim was identified by the authorities through a written note left on the body of the victim.

The Sulu PPO said the body was discovered at a road intersection in Barangay Lunggang in Maimbung town at around 9:45 p.m.

The body has been brought to the Sulu Provincial Hospital in Barangay Asturia, Jolo town and will eventually be brought to Zamboanga City via a navy ship.

Police said that the victim was beheaded apparently because his family failed to pay the amount of ransom demanded by the bandits.

Buligao and two members of the Philippine Coast Guard, SM1 Allan Pagaling and SM2 Gringo Villaruz, were abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf Group members last May 4.

In a video that went viral on Facebook, the two coast guard members and the barangay chairman were seen blindfolded with their hands tied behind them.

Behind the three captives were Abu Sayyaf bandits and one of them was a holding a bolo to one of the half-naked victims.

One of the bandits then spoke in his dialect, translated by another member of the bandits as: "Nananawagan kami na maibibigay ninyo ang hinihingi namin sa lalong madaling panahon. Kung hindi ninyo maibigay hinihingi namin, pupugutan namin ng ulo ang isa sa mga bihag na ito or lahat sila." —ALG, GMA News

Tags: abusayyafgroup