Zambales businessman found dead in irrigation canal in Nueva Ecija

LLANERA, Nueva Ecija — The body of a 66-year-old Zambales businessman who maintains an onion farm here was fished out from an irrigation canal in this town on Saturday night, July 30, report said Sunday, July 31.

Llanera police said the victim, identified as Paquito de Guzman, a native of Barangay (village) San Vicente here but has been residing in Iba, Zambales, was found with a bullet wound in the head in an irrigation canal in Barangay Sta. Barbara after his vehicle was seen abandoned in Sta. Maria town in Pangasinan at about 6:45 p.m. Sta. Maria, Pangasinan is 63 km away from this town.

Brenda de Guzman-Cortez, the victim’s daughter, told police her father left his parents’ house in Barangay San Vicente Thursday morning, July 28, onboard the orange pick up truck which was later found in Pangasinan bloodied with scattered documents and an empty bag inside.

He reportedly had with him some P3.5 million cash intended for the purchase of a dump truck. That cash is now missing.

He was last seen Thursday afternoon talking to three unidentified persons, one of them a woman, at a convenience store in the Bongabon town in Nueva Ecija.

Cortez said she had been texting the victim but never got a reply that night which caused her to worry.

“Usually, when I text him, he calls immediately. Even when he is driving or taking a bath, he calls back,” Cortez said in an interview Sunday.

An autopsy revealed that the gunshot wound in the head caused the victim’s death. Police are investigating the case.

/MUF