Four kidnapped from Philippines resort

A manhunt was underway in the Philippines on Tuesday after four people were kidnapped from a resort on Samal Island, military officials said.

Military spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla told The Philippine Daily Inquirer that surveillance video showed a group of 11 armed men took two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Filipino and fled on a boat late Monday night. Padilla said at least two Japanese tourists made a failed attempt to stop the kidnapping.

Padilla said officials have not determined who seized the tourists nor their motive for doing so. He declined to speculate whether the attack was linked to Abu Sayyaf, a violent separatist group pressing for an independent Islamic state in southern Philippines.

"We can assure the public that the joint forces of the government, led by the police, air assets of the air force and naval assets are all working hand in hand" to free the captives, Padilla said.He said the kidnappers appeared to speak fluent English and Filipino.

The captives were identified as Robert Hall and John Ridsdel of Canada and and Kjartan Sekkingstad of Norway. The Filipino woman taken hostage was not identified.

Ridsdel is a mining executive based in the Philippines since at least August 2008 and Sekkinstad manages the resort, The New York Times said.