KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — The Philippine army have found a headless body believed to be that of Malaysian hostage Bernard Then who was reportedly beheaded last month by Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Sulu.

The Philippine Inquirer news portal reported that soldiers discovered the decomposing cadaver at Parang town in the Sulu province, late Monday night.

“(The) alleged decapitated body of Malaysian Chinese Bernard Then Ted Fen is recovered at Sitio Lungon-lungon in Barangay Lanao Dakula, Parang municipality,” spokesperson for the Western Mindanao Command Major Filemon Tan Jr. was quoted as saying.

“(It) will be subjected to DNA testing to determine if it matches the head recovered last month,” he said, referring to the severed head found on November 17 which was found inside a sack labeled with the name of the Malaysian kidnap victim.

The body was reportedly transported to the Kutang Heneral Teodulfo Bautista Trauma Hospital in Jolo for processing.

The news comes after previous and conflicting reports that Then’s body had been found buried in Indanan about a day after the beheading while the head was recovered about 30km away in Jolo, a separate district within the Sulu province.

Then and restaurant manager Thien Nyuk Fun were kidnapped on May 14 from a popular seaside seafood restaurant in Sandakan, on the east coast of Sabah. Thien was released on November 8 but Then was allegedly held back when kidnappers demanded more ransom to be paid.

Then was reportedly beheaded on November 17 by an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Alhabsy Misaya and Idang Susukan.

Filipino authorities previously said they detained the militants responsible for Then’s abduction and beheading.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had officially confirmed the beheading by condemning the killing of Then through his social media during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila on November 18.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar later said that the body and head were found in separate locations and that his counterpart had confirmed its identity.

He told reporters in Kota Kinabalu that the body was found buried among others while the head was found in the neighbouring town.

The result of the DNA test has also not been released.