webfact Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Gunmen abduct 3 foreigners, Filipino from Philippine resortMANILA, Philippines (AP) — Unidentified gunmen have abducted a Norwegian resort manager, two Canadians and a Filipino woman from a southern Philippine island, the military and police said Tuesday.Two Japanese resort guests unsuccessfully tried to intervene before the gunmen escaped with their hostages aboard a motorized outrigger from Samal Island off Davao City said regional military spokesman Capt. Alberto Caber.Caber said the gunmen appeared to have specifically targeted the victims when they entered the Holiday Oceanview Samal Resort before midnight Monday on the northern tip of the island, about 975 kilometers (610 miles) southeast of Manila.He said authorities have no immediate suspects. In 2001, Abu Sayyaf militants tried to seize hostages from the Pearl Farm Beach Resort south of Oceanview during a ransom-kidnapping spree in the early 2000s in the southern Philippines.Caber said a naval blockade was set up around the island to stop the kidnappers from reaching Basilan Island farther to the southwest where Abu Sayyaf militants have strongholds where they keep hostages while negotiating ransoms. The Abu Sayyaf, which has about 400 gunmen, was recently declared a terrorist group by a Philippine court and is on Washington's lists of terror organizations.Police identified the Norwegian as Kjartan Sekkingstad, the resort's marina manager, and Canadians as John Ridsel and Robert Hall. The Filipino woman is the wife of one of the Canadians.Davao del Norte provincial police chief Senior Supt. Samuel Gandingan told government radio station DXRP in Davao City that three men armed with rifles entered the resort before midnight Monday.The Abu Sayyaf seized dozens of Filipino hostages on Basilan and 21 people, mostly European tourists, from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan in 2000, and abducted three Americans and 17 Filipinos in 2001 from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan province southwest of Manila.The militants are still holding other hostages, including two Malaysians, a Dutch bird watcher kidnapped nearly three years ago, and a town mayor.-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I would consider retirement to the Phils, but too 3rd world and too much crime. Farangs are targets there, more so than Thailand. Plus a retirement visa is more costly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygreg44 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) I would consider retirement to the Phils, but too 3rd world and too much crime. Farangs are targets there, more so than Thailand. Plus a retirement visa is more costly. it strongly depends where on the Philipinnes you reside. There are very many absolutely safe places for Westerners. Just to name a few - Bohol, Cebu, Boracay Filipinos speak a fairly good english, and the internet is fast. Retirement for 150-200 USD for a one-year Visa "expensive" ?? Compared to which country ? Edited September 22, 2015 by crazygreg44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I would consider retirement to the Phils, but too 3rd world and too much crime. Farangs are targets there, more so than Thailand. Plus a retirement visa is more costly. it strongly depends where on the Philipinnes you reside. There are very many absolutely safe places for Westerners. Just to name a few - Bohol, Cebu, Boracay Filipinos speak a fairly good english, and the internet is fast. Retirement for 150-200 USD for a one-year Visa "expensive" ?? Compared to which country ? I wasn't aware of a 200 per year visa? Phils have a lot to offer and I would strongly consider living there as there are endless options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinostar Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I would consider retirement to the Phils, but too 3rd world and too much crime. Farangs are targets there, more so than Thailand. Plus a retirement visa is more costly. it strongly depends where on the Philipinnes you reside. There are very many absolutely safe places for Westerners. Just to name a few - Bohol, Cebu, Boracay Filipinos speak a fairly good english, and the internet is fast. Retirement for 150-200 USD for a one-year Visa "expensive" ?? Compared to which country ? People have been abducted and all you can think of is your pity retirement? Talking about compassion..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Any theories as to who abducted them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I would consider retirement to the Phils, but too 3rd world and too much crime. Farangs are targets there, more so than Thailand. Plus a retirement visa is more costly. it strongly depends where on the Philipinnes you reside. There are very many absolutely safe places for Westerners. Just to name a few - Bohol, Cebu, Boracay Filipinos speak a fairly good english, and the internet is fast. Retirement for 150-200 USD for a one-year Visa "expensive" ?? Compared to which country ? People have been abducted and all you can think of is your pity retirement? Talking about compassion..... No, you are the one saying that. I mentioned that farangs are targets in the Phils if you didn't notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maidee Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 do you need money in the bank for that phil visa ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) Any theories as to who abducted them? Southern Phils would likely be Muslims. Sulu sea Islands especially although I haven't read the article yet. Edit: Thought it would be further South but this is right outside of Davao City. Davao City, General Santos City and Mindanao are relatively safe. Traveling further south to one of the 7,107 Phil Islands might be dangerous though. Surprised that this area would have this happen. Abu Sayyaf is a Muslim terror group affiliated with ISIS and have a history of kidnapping and terrorism in SW Phils/Sulu Sea Islands. Edited September 22, 2015 by MadBum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 do you need money in the bank for that phil visa ? Probably not. It's likely a non refundable fee. I haven't looked into it yet. But it's only $200, so no worries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roota Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 There are very many absolutely safe places for Westerners. Just to name a few - Bohol, Cebu, Boracay Well Davao has usually been considered one of the safer places in the PI (in fact it's been called 'the safest' -- google for details). And yet this kidnapping happened just a few minutes away across the water. I don't think it's ever good to assume absolute safety in the Philippines. And whatever the risks that farang like to worry about in Thailand, being abducted fortunately isn't one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABCer Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I was reading the OP. Concentrated on the names involved: Samuel Gandingan, Kjiartan Sekkingstaad, Alberto Caber, John Ridsel, Robert Hall... and started feeling uneasy. All of a sudden a ray of light - Abu Sayyaf is mentioned! What a relief! It must be my racist, Nazi and Islamophobic nature, that makes me feel uneasy at times... sometimes I Abu miself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 This is a potential game changer for expats as DC and GenSan are considered to be safe even though they are in the Southern Phils. Abu Sayyaf generally does not stray that far North from the Sulu sea. I have a friend in DC I will contact later to see if he can provide any insight although he is likely not worried about terrorism in Davao City area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I was reading the OP. Concentrated on the names involved: Samuel Gandingan, Kjiartan Sekkingstaad, Alberto Caber, John Ridsel, Robert Hall... and started feeling uneasy. All of a sudden a ray of light - Abu Sayyaf is mentioned! What a relief! It must be my racist, Nazi and Islamophobic nature, that makes me feel uneasy at times... sometimes I Abu miself. I was thinking along the lines of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but surely they have given up due to people laughing at their acronym. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loptr Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 The kidnappers should have picked a better spot because the governor of the Davao province has death squads and is not afraid to use them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I was reading the OP. Concentrated on the names involved: Samuel Gandingan, Kjiartan Sekkingstaad, Alberto Caber, John Ridsel, Robert Hall... and started feeling uneasy. All of a sudden a ray of light - Abu Sayyaf is mentioned! What a relief! It must be my racist, Nazi and Islamophobic nature, that makes me feel uneasy at times... sometimes I Abu miself. I was thinking along the lines of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but surely they have given up due to people laughing at their acronym. This has Abu Sayyaf written all over it. <deleted> is more involved in bombings. It could be neither. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 The kidnappers should have picked a better spot because the governor of the Davao province has death squads and is not afraid to use them... My friend in DC speaks highly of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Death Sqauds may be too much for some, but Duterte has been elected to several terms and keeps a tight lid on crime, especially street crime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asdecas Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I would consider retirement to the Phils, but too 3rd world and too much crime. Farangs are targets there, more so than Thailand. Plus a retirement visa is more costly. it strongly depends where on the Philipinnes you reside. There are very many absolutely safe places for Westerners. Just to name a few - Bohol, Cebu, Boracay Filipinos speak a fairly good english, and the internet is fast. Retirement for 150-200 USD for a one-year Visa "expensive" ?? Compared to which country ? The internet is fast? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_the_Philippines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 In a survey released by crowd-sourced rating site Numbeo.com dated April 30, 2015, Davao City ranked 9th as the safest city in the world.[9] In the following month, Davao City's rank moved up to the 5th spot[10] and in June of 2015, Davao City now holds the 4th spot as the safest city in the world.[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loptr Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) The kidnappers should have picked a better spot because the governor of the Davao province has death squads and is not afraid to use them... My friend in DC speaks highly of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Death Sqauds may be too much for some, but Duterte has been elected to several terms and keeps a tight lid on crime, especially street crime. I was in Davao City in 2013 when a group of kidnappers got taken out by these guys... They were holding a woman they had grabbed in Manila a few weeks earlier... There was a brief fire-fight in the street a few hundred meters from my hotel and several of the kidnappers were killed, the woman was released... You don't mess around in Davao... http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/crime-public-safety/suspected-kidnappers-shot-dead-by-davao-cops/ Edited September 22, 2015 by Loptr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkmanmanmill Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Marina manager wife and 2 canadians one flip flop = boat wars... canadian yacht upsets fisherman most likelier story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Marina manager wife and 2 canadians one flip flop = boat wars... canadian yacht upsets fisherman most likelier story Abu Sayyaf or Moro Islamic Liberation Front Bet on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seastallion Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Marina manager wife and 2 canadians one flip flop = boat wars... canadian yacht upsets fisherman most likelier story Abu Sayyaf or Moro Islamic Liberation Front Bet on it. The OP mentions that the victims seemed to be targeted. Also 2 Japanese tried to intervene and are still alive. I was thinking along the lines of Milkman, too. It looks like a debt or a grievance, not terrorism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee b Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Just watched an episode of locked up abroad which shows when gunmen took hostages from the Phillipines many years back. Maybe one of the places mentioned above. Hope the people are realesed without any harm coming to them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yann55 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) I would consider retirement to the Phils, but too 3rd world and too much crime. Farangs are targets there, more so than Thailand. Plus a retirement visa is more costly. Me, me, me. Yurk ! Innocent people have just been abducted, most likely by some crazy fundamentalist-cum-gangster thugs, and all you can come up with is this self-centered, idle comment. Honestly this e-world makes me dizzy. Edited September 22, 2015 by Yann55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicog Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Marina manager wife and 2 canadians one flip flop = boat wars... canadian yacht upsets fisherman most likelier story "Why you not let me rip off take tourist on boat trip" kind of thing? Is it that much like Thailand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosst Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 The kidnappers should have picked a better spot because the governor of the Davao province has death squads and is not afraid to use them... Absolutely, Davao City is ranked fifth safest in the world, the Mayor is tough and straight as a die, no pun intended?Unfortunately he has announced that he will not run for President. I was very surprised to read this, they will be hunted mercilessly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farangmick Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 One was Norwegian, so it is obvious. He failed to pay his share of the bar/restaurant tab. The others were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggt Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) The militants are still holding other hostages, including two Malaysians, a Dutch bird watcher kidnapped nearly three years ago, and a town mayor. I do not know about the Malaysians...but that Dutch bird watcher...was definitely a threat to the 400 Muslim militants...can't be too careful when you live a life filled with terror, murder, kidnapping, and destruction...doing the will of God...don't you know. Edited September 22, 2015 by ggt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HooHaa Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) I would consider retirement to the Phils, but too 3rd world and too much crime. Farangs are targets there, more so than Thailand. Plus a retirement visa is more costly. it strongly depends where on the Philipinnes you reside. There are very many absolutely safe places for Westerners. Just to name a few - Bohol, Cebu, Boracay Filipinos speak a fairly good english, and the internet is fast. Retirement for 150-200 USD for a one-year Visa "expensive" ?? Compared to which country ? the internet is fast? where? certainly not anywhere in manila, major business centers included. sure they advertise 4g, but 3 mbps 4g aint all that. as for speaking great english, it sure is a shame so few understand it Edited September 22, 2015 by HooHaa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.3b3332cc2256ad0edbc2fe9404feeef0.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now