Philippine kidnap Warren Rodwell victim alive, emaciated Captured ... A file photo of Warren Rodwell. Philippine kidnappers have released a new photograph proving Australian man Warren Rodwell is still alive but say they will kill him unless their demands are met. The kidnappers uploaded the photo to the internet in recent days. It shows an emaciated Mr Rodwell holding a January 25, 2013, edition of a local newspaper and surrounded by three masked gunmen. A flag positioned behind Mr Rodwell bears the inscription in Arabic of the shahada, or Islamic testament of faith: "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger." This suggests the kidnappers are Islamist militants rather than a criminal gang. An accompanying statement claims to have been written by banned terrorist organisation al-Harakat al-Islamiyah (the Islamic movement) - more commonly known as the Abu Sayyaf Group. In a section addressed to the Australian government, it says Mr Rodwell has been in their custody since first kidnapping him on December 5, 2011. "We will give you a chance to save his life before it's too late," the message reads. Otherwise he will suffer unusual way of death. The kidnappers are demanding ransom for Mr Rodwell's release but it is not known just how much. Their original demand was $2 million. The statement also seeks to assure their "brothers in Islam" that they want money to support their insurgency, rather than for personal gain. Foreign Minister Bob Carr was asked about the photograph in London. "We continue to work with the government of the Philippines about securing his safe handing over," he told reporters. Senator Carr says he has spoken to Mr Rodwell's sister who is in contact with police in the Philippines. He declined to comment further given the fragile situation. The photo and statement follows a proof-of-life video uploaded to YouTube in December last year. The federal government warns Australians against travelling to central or western Mindanao, citing the danger of kidnapping. The government does not pay ransom in kidnap cases. Abu Sayyaf is closely linked to both al-Qaeda and Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiyah.