Philippines condemns 'barbaric' killing of German hostage

The Philippines on Mondaycondemned the "barbaric beheading" of a German captive byISIS-linked Abu Sayyaf militants, who posted a video ofthe killing after a deadline for a $600,000 ransom passed.

The video showed a machete-wielding militant behead theelderly German hostage, Jurgen Kantner, who had appealed forhelp twice in short video messages, saying he would be killed ifransom was not paid.

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Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the Philippine peaceprocess, said officials had exhausted all efforts to saveKantner, who was held on the tiny southern island of Jolo, butto no avail.

"We grieve as we strongly condemn the barbaric beheading ofyet another kidnap victim," Dureza said in a statement.

"Terrorism has no place in a country like ours and we asa people must confront violent extremism every time it rears itsugly head. There must be a stop to this killing of the innocentand the helpless."

He did not mention the demand for ransom.

Philippine National Police Chief, Gen. Roland Dela Rosa, said during a news conference earlier in the day he had received unconfirmed reports of Kantner's death.

Companion shot dead

Kantner and his companion were taken captive in Novemberwhile sailing on a yacht near Sabah, eastern Malaysia,and brought to Jolo. His companion was shot dead when she triedto resist the militants.

Last year, Abu Sayyaf beheaded two Canadians Robert Hall and John Ridsdel on Jolo buttheir two companions, a Filipino woman and a Norwegian, werefreed.

The group has made tens of millions of dollars from ransommoney since it was formed in the 1990s, security experts say,channelling it into guns, grenade launchers, high-powered boatsand modern equipment.

Abu Sayyaf is believed to be holding 26 hostages 13Vietnamese, seven Filipinos, a Dutch national, a Japanese, twoIndonesians and two Malaysians. They have freed several othersin return for ransom payments.