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The Abu Sayyaf is demanding ransom of P30 million for German hostage Jurgen Kanter be paid before 3 pm of February 26 or else he will be beheaded,

The message was flashed in a two minute,19 second video circulating on Facebook with Kanter, wearing an orange shirt, kneeling in a forest. Three men were carrying long firearms while one was holding a large blade.

Kanter and his companion, Sabine Merz, were on their yacht when they encountered the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu in November 2016. Merz was found dead inside the yacht.

The military said it is discouraging payment of ransom.

"Our position has been consistent, we discourage payment of ransom because we believe that payment of ransom continues to embolden them, continues to capacitate them and they can even buy the loyalty of the community," Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP Public Affairs Chief said.

"We do not negotiate with terrorist. We do not sanction. We do not pay ransom. The government do not pay ransom to terrorists," he added.

Arevalo said the military will exert all efforts to rescue Kanter.

"We will exert all efforts to rescue him, especially that we now have a continuing operation against the Abu Sayyaf Group and we see that our operation has been yielding good outcome,” he said,

“So we are still positive that we will be able to rescue him," Arevalo said.

The Abu Sayyaf are holding 27 persons, 21 of whom are foreigners. Last year, they beheaded three foreigners they abducted at Samal but freed the Filipina. Robina Asido/DMS