Head and body found in Sulu belonged to Malaysian kidnap victim – PNP, AFP

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Military and police officials here on Tuesday confirmed that the severed head and body separately recovered in Sulu the past weeks belonged to Malaysian hostage Bernard Then Ted Fen.

Chief Supt. Noel Lazarus Vargas, chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) in Western Mindanao, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that genetic identification of the head and the cadaver had resulted in a positive match.

“We got the report that DNA testing matched. These belonged to Malaysian Bernard Then who was kidnapped. It is now ok to send the body to his family in Malaysia, or they can secure the body from here,” Vargas said.

Major General Mayorlago dela Cruz, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, earlier told the Inquirer that the DNA samples taken from the head and the body matched, which meant that these belonged to one person.

“Hopefully the cadaver can now be returned to the family. We are just waiting for the documents,” Dela Cruz added.

On December 14, soldiers from the 501st Infantry Brigade dug a headless body from a shallow grave in Sitio Lungon-lungon in Barangay Lanao Dakula in Parang, Sulu.

The headless body was immediately brought to the KHTB Trauma Hospital in Sulu for safekeeping.

Meanwhile, the head – which was found in November – had been under military custody.

Then was abducted by Abu Sayyaf gunmen together with restaurant owner Thien Nyuk Fun from Sandakan, Malaysia onMay 14.

On November 17, the Abu Sayyaf beheaded him after his family failed to deliver the ransom demand, which was reduced to P10 million from the original amount of P30 million.

It was learned that the Abu Sayyaf faction, headed by an Al-Habsi had custody of Then until he was killed.  SFM