ISABELA CITY, Basilan – Suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) operating in this province beheaded one of their hostages and dumped his head near a public plaza shortly before 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Basilan Vice Governor Al-Rasheed Sakalahul the severed head of Mark Singson was recovered at around 7.45 p.m. near the public square plaza in Isabela City. His body is still missing.

“We were told that the kidnappers beheaded one of the three hostages – Mark Singson – and security forces recovered his severed head. His body is still missing,” Sakalahul said.

The fate of the two other hostages, Michael Tan, 27, and Oscar Lu, 51, workers of Hitech Plywood Factory in Maluso town is still unknown and the kidnappers did not say whether both captives are alive or dead, Sakalahul said.

The ASG raided a plywood factory - Hitech Wood Craft Corporation in Maluso, Basilan on November 10, and took Tan, Lu and Singson as hostage.

The two Chinese nationals were said to have been working illegally for the firm owned by George Tan.

The ASG beheaded Singson after the plywood factory owner failed to pay the ransom demand of P1.5 million, according to authorities.

Sakalahul said the government is following a strict policy on no-ransom payment to kidnappers.

Police said about 20 gunmen disguised as soldiers raided the factory and seized the trio. Its owner said the kidnappers struck despite the presence of a military camp nearby.

The ASG and a faction of the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front are actively operating in Basilan and had been previously linked to many kidnappings for ransom in the province.