Samal Island. (www.samal-island.com)

The Philippine Armed Forces have become extra careful in handling the kidnapping of three foreigners and a Filipina from the Island Garden of Samal in southern Philippines amid conflicting reports of the victims'€™ whereabouts.

'€œWe have received some information that the incident happened on Jolo island and was committed by the Abu Sayyaf Group but we have not completely validated it so we cannot give a definitive update on it," said Colonel Restituto Padilla, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Earlier reports said kidnap victims Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, Hall'€™s Filipino girlfriend Marites Flor, and Norwegian marina manager Kjartan Sekkingstad, had been taken to the mountains of Davao Oriental.

The foreigners and Filipina were taken from the Holiday Oceanview Marina before midnight on Sept 21, 2015, by gunmen who left a message claiming that they were members of the New People'€™s Army (NPA).

But Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte expressed doubt over the NPA claim saying communist rebels were ideologues who would not abduct for money.

Duterte speculated that it could have been done by the Abu Sayyaf.

The AFP spokesperson said there was still no confirmation to the report of the victims already in Jolo.

'€œWe continue to verify the information on the ground," Padilla added during an interview in a local radio program.

'€œOur informants have not verified the presence of the kidnap so authorities are careful on giving out information," the spokesperson added.

Padilla appealed to Duterte to pursue cooperation with the military.

'€œWe have requested Mayor Duterte over the weekend to share information with us so we can validate the source," Padilla said. (k)

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