CANADIAN EXCUTED BY ISLAMIC MILITANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

 Islamic militants in the Philippines have executed a Canadian hostage, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday, after the Filipino authorities said they had found the head of a foreign man on a remote island.

"I'm outraged by the news that a Canadian citizen, John Ridsdel, held hostage in the Philippines since September 21, 2015, has been killed at the hands of his captors," Trudeau said.

"This was an act of cold-blooded murder and responsibility rests with the terrorist group who took him hostage."

Ridsdel, fellow Canadian tourist Robert Hall, Hall's girlfriend Filipina Marites Flor, and Norwegian resort manager Kjartan Sekkingstad were kidnapped seven months ago from yachts at a marina near the major city of Davao, more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from Jolo.

Six weeks after the abduction, gunmen from the Abu Sayyaf militant group released a video on social media of their hostages held in a jungle setting, demanding the equivalent of $21 million each for the safe release of the three foreigners.

The men were forced to beg for their lives on camera, and similar videos posted over several months showed the hostages looking increasingly frail.

In the most recent video, Ridsdel, a retiree in his late 60s, said his captors would kill him on April 25 if a ransom of $6.4 million were not paid.

Hours after the deadline passed, police in the Philippines said two people on a motorbike dropped the head near city hall on Jolo, a mostly lawless island around 1,000 kilometers south of Manila that is one of the Abu Sayyaf group's main strongholds.

"We found a head in a plastic bag," provincial police chief Wilfredo Cayat told AFP.

He said the head belonged to a white man, but emphasized it was impossible to immediately identify. The local police chief issued a report to journalists with similar details.

Trudeau said Canada was working with the Philippines to pursue and prosecute Ridsdel's killers, and that efforts were underway to obtain the release of the other hostages.

Canadian opposition parties also expressed outrage over the killing.

Ridsdel was a friend of Bob Rae, who preceded Trudeau as leader of Canada's Liberal party. The former journalist, oil executive and sailing enthusiast had moved to the Philippines to manage a gold mine prior to retiring

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