15 December 2015•Update: 15 December 2015
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
Philippine troops have recovered a headless body believed to belong to a Malaysian hostage whose head was discovered after he was abducted by an al-Qaeda-linked militant group in southern Sulu island.
Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., Western Mindanao Command spokesperson, said in a text message to reporters Tuesday that a decapitated body had been found in Lanao Dakula village of Parang town the night before.
"The body, which was in a state of decay, was immediately brought to KHTB trauma hospital in barangay [village] Busbus, Jolo town for proper disposition," he said.
He added that the recovered body would undergo DNA testing to determine whether it matches the head of Bernard Then Te Fen, recovered last month.
In mid-November, a street sweeper had found a head inside a sack bearing the words "Bernard Then Ted Fen" dumped in Indanan town.
Then, a 39-year-old electrical engineer, had been abducted in May together with a restaurant owner, Thien Nyuk Fun, from a seaside town in Malaysia.
Thien was later released after a reported 30 million peso ($640,000) ransom was paid, but their captors had reportedly demanded more for Then’s freedom.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s inspector-general of police said Friday that the Royal Malaysian Police has submitted an application to Philippine authorities for the extradition of two suspected Abu Sayyaf members in connection with the kidnapping-turned-killing of Then, according to Bernama.
Saddam Jailani and Kadaffy Muktadil Kamsa were arrested in separate incidents in Jolo late last month.
At the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation summit in Malaysia in mid-November, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had condemned Then’s beheading, calling upon the authorities to take action against those responsible.
Philippines President Benigno Aquino III then ordered his military to intensify its operations against the Abu Sayyaf.
Since 1991, the Abu Sayyaf -- armed with mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles -- has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortions in a self-determined fight for an independent Islamic province in the Philippines.
The group, whose senior leader released a video pledging allegiance to Daesh last year, is notorious for beheading victims after ransoms have failed to be paid for their release.
