Man found dead as downtown Manila moviehouse closes

MANILA, Philippines – A 53-year-old man was found dead late Thursday night inside a movie theater he frequented in Manila.

Sitting on the fifth row with his mouth hanging open, Crisanto Junio, of Laguna Extension in Tondo, was found dead by a  security guard who initially thought the man had fallen asleep during the last full show of an old action film.

Senior Police Officer 2 Edmundo Cabal of the Manila Police District homicide section said the discovery was made at around 10:30 p.m. Thursday  inside the Times Theater on Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo.

Cabal said that while conducting a routine inspection after the theater closed, security guard James Rafinian spotted a man still seated on one of the seats.

Thinking the man was asleep, Rafinian tapped the theater patron on the shoulder. Getting no response, the guard then decided to check on the man’s pulse and, finding none, decided to call the police.

Junio was later identified through documents obtained by police investigators from his motorcycle, which was outside the movie house.

Cabal disclosed that security guards at the theater informed him that Junio was a regular customer of the theater and was seen paying to see a movie once a week. The Times Theater usually features old action films.

The case investigator pointed out that the body bore no external injury and theorized that Junio could have died of a heart attack. The body was taken to the Cruz funeral parlor for autopsy and safekeeping.