Severed hands found washed ashore in Manila

MANILA, Philippines—A pair of severed hands was found washed ashore in a pile of trash following a flood at the Philippine Coast Guard base in Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila.

The hands, which had been cut at the wrists and stuffed inside a black garbage bag, have been subjected to forensic fingerprint examination by the Manila Police District crime laboratory for possible identification of their owner.

Police Officer 3 Jupiter Tajonera, case investigator, told the Inquirer that the hands were found at around 10:40 a.m. Thursday by an unidentified pedicab driver, who had accidentally run over the plastic bag.

He said the wheels of the pedicab ripped open the plastic bag and caused the fingers of the hand to poke through, prompting the pedicab driver to report his ghastly find to PCG personnel.

Petty Officer 1 Rey Mendez, who responded to the report, brought the already decomposing hands to the PCG base before seeking police assistance.

Mendez said the bag containing the hands might have drifted toward the compound when the PCG base was flooded at the height of Typhoon “Pedring.”

Tajonera said that the compound was submerged in “knee-deep” water on Tuesday and most of the garbage from the Pasig River had washed ashore and into the PCG base.

The case investigator told the Inquirer that the hands apparently belonged to one person, who could have been a victim of summary execution.

The hands were brought to the St. Yvan funeral parlor for safekeeping.