MANILA (UPDATED) -- Philippine National Police Chief, Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa initially claimed, citing intelligence reports, that Abu Sayyaf had beheaded a hostage, and then recanted his statement.

"Okay, sige, it's not confirmed. I can take back my statement," Dela Rosa said in a press briefing, where he earlier claimed that a hostage had been beheaded by the terror group.

"Yung report na nakarating sa amin, is yun nga, inexecute na. Yung akin naman, galing lang din sa mga tao doon, so I can take back kung hindi totoo," Dela Rosa said Monday.

Dela Rosa said authorities have yet to recover the supposed victim's body.

"Kapag investigation report, kailangan body of the crime, pero as far as information being gathered by personnel on the ground, 'yun ang nakukuha nilang information," Dela Rosa said.

Bihag na German ng Abu Sayyaf, pinugutan, ayon sa intelligence report - pnp chief dela rosa pic.twitter.com/6yOv6i36C5

— Henry V. Atuelan (@dzmmPatrol44) February 27, 2017

"Kapag investigation report, kailangan body of the crime, pero as far as information being gathered by personnel on the ground, 'yun ang nakukuha nilang information," Dela Rosa said.

In an earlier part of the press conference, responding to questions whether a German hostage had been decapitated, Dela Rosa said "it was confirmed."

"It was confirmed by our counterparts from the AFP that napugutan na. Yesterday, I was in Zamboanga then yung pinagusapan noon ng mga security forces na...napugutan na," Dela Rosa told reporters Monday.

He did not mention any name.

He however emphasized that authorities still need to get the hostage's body.

"We need to have the body... bago natin masabi talaga. Pero as far as intelligence reports, confirmed na," said Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa's earlier statement was contrary to the military's pronouncements.

But in a text message, AFP spokesman Brig. General Restituto Padilla however said there was "no proof yet to believe this news."

"This information has not been confirmed yet and hence no announcement is categorical can be made until such time that we see proof or evidence to say otherwise," Padilla told ANC.

He added that they last received information that the hostage was alive a "few days" before Sunday.

Padilla said the Abu Sayyaf has around 500 members, mostly armed.

Abductions being perpetrated by the group are aimed at collecting money to fund the group's criminal activities, he said.

"This group remains to be a bandit group committing a series of criminalities in the area. These abductions are all aimed at collecting substantial amounts of money to finance their criminal acts," he said.

Abu Sayyaf earlier threatened to kill a German captive if ransom was not paid at 3 p.m. Sunday.

• READ: German hostage abducted in PH appears in video

In a statement on Sunday morning, the Western Mindanao Command said the timeline set by the Abu Sayyaf was perhaps due to shortage of funds and the need for them to establish new hiding areas.