MANILA, Philippines — A scavenger was discovered outside his shanty on the University of the Philippines campus in Quezon City, on Monday, with his head smashed and his pants pulled down to his knees.
The victim, Gilbert Sero, 26, was found sprawled outside his makeshift home near the Commission on Human Rights compound along Commonwealth Ave.
A fellow trash-picker was the one who discovered the body after going to the victim’s house to wake him up for their scavenging rounds.
The case investigator, Police Officer 2 Jogene Hernandez of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said the victim was already dead when found at around 6 a.m. Monday.
A friend, Mary Rose Grayo, 24, noticed the body lying on some used carton boxes under a tree at a grassy lot, just a few meters away from his shanty.
Police said the victim was killed after somebody smashed Sero’s head with a rock, which was found next to the victim.
Hernandez noted that the victim’s shirt was pulled up to his chest and his pants pulled down to his knees.
Grayo, also a scavenger, told police that she dropped by her friend’s place that morning so they could look for trash to scavenge and sell together.
She was shocked when she saw Sero lying dead and almost naked under the tree.
Police are still investigating who could be behind Sero’s death and the motive behind the killing.