FREED. Marites Flor, one of the four kidnapped victims of the Abu Sayyaf Group last September 21, 2015 is escorted by incoming Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza at the Davao City Police Office afternoon Friday, June 24. Flor was presented to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY — A tearful Marites Flor recounted her ordeal to reporters here on Friday afternoon, June 24, after she was presented to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
Flor, 38, was one of the our kidnapped victims of the Abu Sayyaf Group in a luxurious resort in the Island Garden City of Samal on September 21, 2015. The other victims include Flor’s fiancée, Canadian national Robert Hall, John Ridsdel, also a Canadian national, and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad. Ridsdel was beheaded on April 25, and Hall on June 13.
Flor was freed on Friday morning, June 24.
“Sa ngayon okay ako kasi nakalaya akong buhay, at gusto ko lang mag pasalamat sa mga tumulong, kay Sir Jess Dureza, Governor Sakur Tan at sa bagong elect na President natin na si Pres. Rodrigo Duterte (As of now I’m okay because I’m freed, alive. I want to thank those who helped me, Jesus Dureza, Governor Sakur Tan and the newly elected President, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte),” she said.
Flor said they were “treated like dogs, like kids.”
“Yung treatment nila parang aso kami, parang bata. Pag nagkamali binubugbog (We were treated like dogs, like kids. If we did something wrong they beat us),” she said.
Flor said she was slapped twice, while here fellow hostages were beaten up.
The hostages also slept on the ground with cuffs on their feet.
‘20 armed men’
Flor recalled that around 20 members of the ASG took them from the Holiday Oceanview Resort in Barangay Camudmud, Babak District, Igacos.
Although she cannot give the exact number of their captors, she said the ASG were many.
On the day that she was freed, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf woke her up and told her to take off the cuffs on her feet.
“He told me, ‘Marites wake up’. I asked him why. And he told me to remove the cuffs on my feet because we sleep with cuffs,” she said in Filipino.
She said her kidnapper told her that he is taking her somewhere.
“Sabi niya ‘ihahatid kita,’ yun lang (He said he will take me somewhere, that’s all),” Flor said.
Fiancee’s killing
Flor said when her fiancée, Hall, was killed, the Abu Sayyaf was waiting for a call from the media.
The deadline set for the ransom payment was 3:00 pm. The ASG demanded for P300 million ($6.4 million) ransom for each of the victims.
“So they were waiting for a call from the media, after the phone calls, then they decided to behead Robert,” she said.
She said Hall was handcuffed and was taken out front.
Flor said she did not witness the beheading, but recalled that it was very painful to see Hall before he was beheaded. She said that the ASG were happy with what they were doing.
“Sobrang sakit. Kasi nakikita mo bago pugutan siya ng ulo. Sobrang sakit. Pinapanood nila. Masaya sila na gagawin nila ‘yun (It was very painful. Because you can see him before he was beheaded. It was painful. They were watching. They were happy that they were doing it),” she said.
Flor said all she wants right now is to be reunited with her family.
Flor is from Valencia City in Bukidnon province. (davaotoday.com)
