Skull found in Laguna river linked to butchered man

CAMP PACIANO RIZAL, Philippines—A plastic bag containing the skull believed to be that of man who was killed three months ago was fished out of a river in Pangil, Laguna, on Sunday, authorities said Monday.

According to Inspector Percival Gabinete, police chief of Pangil, the skull was of jeepney driver Edgardo Ebarvia, 49, who was murdered on Oct. 16, 2011, and whose body was chopped into several parts, which were placed in a garbage bag and dumped at roadside in Pangil.

On Dec. 2, 2011, authorities recovered the body parts in Sitio (settlement) Lam-Ao in Barangay (village) Sulib and arrested suspects Felicisimo Perez, Mark Anthony Quitero and Ivan Huge Asedillo, who confessed to the crime.

The other suspect, who was believed to be the mastermind, was identified as Noah Macabasco but he was slain by police on the same date when he resisted arrest, Gabinete said.

Ebarvia’s head was missing until fisherman Salvador Romero found it around 4 p.m. on Sunday in a shallow river called Ilog Putol, also in Barangay Sulib, the police officer said.

He said the skull was initially identified by Ebarvia’s daughter, Cristina, through the victim’s dentures.

The skull was taken to the police crime laboratory for further investigation. Gabinete said illegal drug dealings prompted the suspects to kill Ebarvia.