Abu Sayyaf bandits behead 7 people

GGUNMEN believed to Abu Sayyaf bandits have executed by beheading the seven people they recently seized in the province of Basilan, a top police official said on Monday, July 31.

Senior Superintendent Nickson Muksan, Basilan police director, said the decapitated remains of the victims were separately recovered on Sunday, July 30, at Sitio Campo Barn in the village of Switch Yakal, Lantawan town.

The victims were identified as the following: Nestor Divinagracia, 50, and, his son, Ily, 25, Berto Lacastesantos, 48, Hernando Sally, 53, Renato Casiple, Jr., 36, Rene Sanson, 28, and Mamerto Falcasantos, 55.

Muksan said the remains of father and son Divinagracia were recovered around 3:30 p.m., Sunday, at Sitio Campo Barn in the village of Switch Yakal, Lantawan town.

Muksan said the Divinagracias were seized on July 20 at Sitio Age in the village of Lower Mahayahay, Maluso town by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Pasil Bayali and Otoh Dobol.

Muksan said the remains of the father and son, which were already in the advance state of decomposition, were recognized by the relatives through their clothes.

He said the remains of the other five victims were recovered around 4 p.m., also on Sunday, at Sitio Campo Barn in the village of Switch Yakal, Lantawan.

He said all of the other five victims except Falcasantos were seized by the same group of suspects also on July 20 at Campo Barn in the village of Switch Yakal.

Falcasantos was seized on the same day at Sitio Santo Niño in the village of Matarling, Lantawan town.

Troops are tracking down the group of the suspects behind the brutal killing of the victims, according to Muksan. (SunStar Philippines)