A street sweeper found a severed head believed to be that of Malaysian hostage Bernard Then, who was reportedly murdered by his Abu Sayyaf captors.
The sweeper made the gruesome discovery near a municipal council building in Jolo island, Philippines, last night.
Jolo police chief Major Junpikar Sitin told The Star that the sack had the words "Bernard Then Ted Fen" on it.
"We have turned over the head to the military task force for preservation and DNA tests," he said.
Then, a 39-year-old engineer from Sarawak, was abducted from a seafood restaurant in Sandakan, Sabah, in May.
Also taken as hostage was the restaurant’s owner Thien Nyuk Fun, 50. However, she was released on Nov 8.
Yesterday, Joint Task Group Sulu commander brigadier-general Alan Arrojado disclosed that Then was beheaded as the Filipino military launched an artillery attack on the hostage-takers in Jolo.
However, his body had yet to be found but is believed to have been buried in the vicinity.
Malaysian inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said Then's fate cannot be ascertained as yet, pending confirmation from the Philippines' authorities.
The beheading came shortly after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak arrived in Manila for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.
Najib in a Facebook posting today said all Malaysians were "shocked and sickened" by the murder of a fellow countryman.
He also called on the authorities to act against those who had perpetrated the "savage and barbaric" act.
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