Cadaver of Malaysian beheaded by Abu Sayyaf recovered

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Troops recovered Monday what they believe is the headless cadaver of the Malaysian beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

Officials, however, said they are still confirming if the body recovered in a remote village in Parang was that of Bernard Then Ted Fen.

“The head was referred to the PNP (Philippine National Police) for DNA testing and the body for DNA matching. We shall await that report and once that is out, we shall confirm whether this (belonged to the) kidnap victim,” Armed Forces spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla said.

“There is a process that we follow, and this is scientific in nature, before we issue categorical statements,” he added.

Padilla said the military has also requested for DNA samples from the victims’ relatives.

However, he said there are intelligence reports that the recovered body was indeed that of Then.

The remains were put in a metal casket and ferried by navy patrol craft from Jolo to Majini Pier in Romulo Espaldon Naval station here yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS), said the remains were brought to a local funeral parlor for processing and DNA confirmation by the police Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) personnel before being flown to Malaysia.

“It is our moral responsibility to find the body and give it to the victim’s family,” Arrojado said.

Arrojado said the cadaver was recovered by troops from the Army’s 501st Infantry Battalion last Monday at Sitio Lungon-lungon, Barangay Lanao Dakula, Parang town.

The body was traced after almost a month since Then was beheaded by his Abu Sayyaf captors led by Alhabsy Misaya and Idang Susukan last Nov. 17 after the victim’s family reportedly failed to pay the P30-million ransom. – With Alexis Romero, Jaime Laude