Malaysian Hostage Bernard Then Beheaded As PM Najib Lands In Manila. Here's What We Know

The severed head of Malaysian hostage Bernard Then was found near a municipal council building in Jolo island on Tuesday, 17 November, evening, The Star Online reported citing Southern Philippines police officials.

According to The Star's report, Jolo police chief Major Junpikar Sitin said that a street sweeper found the "severed head" inside a sack with the words “Bernard Then Ted Fen” at Marina Street at Barangay Wall City in Jolo about 8.30pm Tuesday. He said they immediately cordoned the area off and subsequently took the head away for preservation at about 10.30pm.

Acccording to a report in the Malaysiakini, the Dewan Rakyat expressed sympathy with the family of Bernard Then, However, the House, refused to observe a one-minute silence over Then's death.

Bernard Then was beheaded just hours after Prime Minister Najib Razak landed in Manila for the two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, according to Malaysiakini, which further reported that the beheading came just after a week after Abu Sayyaf released another Malaysian hostage, Thien Nyuk Fun (the woman in the photograph held by the man above), the Ocean King Seafood Restaurant manager who was kidnapped along with Bernard Then.

According to Brigadier-General Alan Arrojado, Bernard was beheaded at around 4pm at a remote Abu Sayyaf stronghold in Jolo island, in Sulu province, some 1,400km south of the capital Manila. He said Bernard's family "failed to comply" with the militants' demand "during their negotiation that prompted them to execute their plan".

Meanwhile, The Star Online, based on its sources in Jolo, is reporting that after the full ransom was paid for both Bernard and Thien Nyuk Fun on 8 November, the Abu Sayyaf raised the amount. They wanted much more than what was agreed upon initially which led to only Thien been released, The Star Online reported.

Arrojado, quoting military intelligence sources, said Bernard was decapitated and buried immediately. "The body was immediately buried in the vicinity where they beheaded the victim," he said, adding that he had ordered Marine and Scout Ranger units to do pursuit operations and locate the victim's body.

The Abu Sayyaf had threatened to behead him just after releasing Ms Thien who was freed on 8 November after spending almost 6 months in captivity.

The report added that police had identified the leaders of the group behind the kidnapping to be Alhabsy Misaya, Alden Bagade and Angah Adji.

While Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied that any ransom was paid, The Straits Times claimed Thien was freed in exchange for a 30 million pesos (RM7.85 million) ransom.