Najib seeks Philippines' assistance to hunt down Bernard Then's killers

Then, 39, an electrical engineer from Sarawak was abducted last May from the Ocean King Seafood Restaurant in Sandakan by four armed men identified to be from the southern Philippines and reported to have been beheaded by his captors.

"We will extend our full cooperation to the Philippine Government to bring those responsible to justice," said Najib.

The Prime Minister who is currently here for the 23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, said he had discussed the incident with Philippine President Benigno S.Aquino III.

"He told me that the abductors had possibly taken such action because of the operations conducted by the Philippine Army which had put pressure and forced them to keep shifting from one place to another.

"He said the presence of the Malaysian could have likely been a hindrance to them. But this reasoning is not acceptable. The victim should have been freed," said Najib.

The prime minister also expressed his profound sadness and condolences to the family of the victim.

Singapore's Straits Times in its portal www.straitstimes.com reported this: "Brigadier-General Alan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu said Bernard Then 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."