Suspected Abu Sayyaf kidnappers beheaded Monday school principal Gabriel Canizares after his families failed to come up with the P3-million ransom they had demanded, police said Monday.

Director Felizardo Serapio Jr., chief of Western Mindanao Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO), said the severed head of the 36-year-old school principal in Sulu was dumped near a gasoline station on Gen. Arola Street in Jolo, at about 5 a.m. Monday.

Upon learning of the beheading, President Arroyo immediately directed the military to form a task force that will launch manhunt operations against the terrorist group.

Press Undersecretary Anthony Golez said the President “sympathizes and condoles” with the family of Canizares.

“The President has instructed the Armed Forces of the Philippines to form a task force to investigate the matter and to carry out manhunt operations against the abductors,” he told a press briefing, noting that the President condemned such vicious act hurled against school teachers and other civilians in the strife-torn Southern Philippines.

Serapio said witnesses told police that two Abu Sayyaf bandits riding on a motorcycle dumped a plastic bag containing head of Canizares.

The body of Canizares, however, has yet to be recovered.

Police said Canizares, principal of the Kanague Elementary School in Patikul town, was seized by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants from among the passengers of a minibus in Patikul town on October 20 while on his way to work The kidnappers reportedly demanded P1 million ransom but the family of Canizares allegedly was able to raise only P150,000. It was not clear, however, if the money was paid to the abductors.

But the failure to raise the demanded ransom is being looked into at as one of the motives, while both police and military investigators are also eyeing retaliation as the other motive of the beheading.

“It’s the handiwork of the Abu Sayyaf to cut off the head of their victims whenever the families of their victims failed to pay ransom. This was true in the case of Junjun Antonio who was also decapitated,” Serapio stressed.

But Director General Jesus Verzosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said they are now investigating the relationship between the beheading of Canizares and the arrest of Asnawie Addan Salah in connection with his alleged involvement also in the beheading of 10 of the 14 slain Marine commandos in Al-Barkah, Basilan in 2007.

Likewise, AFP Spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said Canizares’ abductors may have done the beheading in retaliation for the arrest of Salah.

“It is interesting to note that the beheading was carried out two days after the arrest of Salah. These two incidents are very significant,” said Verzosa.

The investigation established that the leaders of the kidnappers who abducted Canizares, maintains links with some erring members of the 114th Base Command headed by Salah.

The two leaders of the kidnappers, certain Abu Tarik and Basaron, are reportedly closely associated with Radullan Sahiron, a one-armed bandit leader who is one of the remaining senior leaders of the ASG based in Sulu. (With reports from Charissa M. Luci, Ronald Lim, and Elena L. Aben