Severed head of Malaysian kidnap victim recovered – military source

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Nov 18): Severed head of Malaysian kidnap victim recovered – military source
The Abu Sayyaf beheaded yet another victim, this time, a Malaysian the bandits had snatched from Sandakan in May.

Military sources said the severed head of Bernard Then Ted Fen, who was killed through decapitation the Abu Sayyaf carried out in Barangay Taran in Indanan, Sulu, around 4 p.m. Tuesday, had been recovered.

Then’s beheading took place as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was in Manila for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.

The victim’s body remained missing as of Wednesday morning, a military source who declined to be identified said.

Then’s body was said to be buried in the same place after the beheading, which was reportedly carried out by the group led by Abu Sayyaf sub leaders Alden Bagade and Idang Susukan, the sources said.

Then was reportedly killed after his family failed to deliver the P30-million ransom money the bandit group had demanded for his release.

Col. Allan Arrojado, commander of the Task Group Sulu, said prior to the bandit group’s plan to kill the victim, the military conducted aerial bombardment, which targeted the Abu Sayyaf lair on Bud Taran.

“It appears that the beheading pushed through almost simultaneously with the bombardment,” he said.

The 39-year-old Then was kidnapped, along with Thien Nyuk Fun, a restaurant owner, from Sandakan in May this year.

Thien was earlier released but the bandit group refused to let go of Then unless his family paid ransom.

The Malaysian media reported in August that Then had told his wife, Chan Wai See, that the Abu Sayyaf had planned to kill him if the ransom money was not delivered by November. Then also told her that another hostage, Dapitan village chair Rodolfo Boligao, had been beheaded because of the family’s failure to pay ransom.

Then was the remaining Malaysian hostage that the Abu Sayyaf had held.

The bandit group had ventured into Malaysia in a bid to beef up its financial capability to sow terror.

Last year, the bandit group also snatched a police officer and killed another from a resort near Semporna.

In June, it also abducted Malaysian fish breeder.

The Abu Sayyaf, a ragtag band of self-styled Islamists, currently holds several other foreign kidnap victims, including two Canadians, a European and a Norwegian.

Arrojado said the military was still trying to locate Then’s body.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/740656/severed-head-of-malaysian-kidnap-victim-recovered-military-source