Man’s body found floating in waters off Cebu

CEBU CITY—While police have yet to identify a body wrapped like a mummy in the southern town of San Fernando, another body was found this time in the northern town of San Remegio.

Three fishermen found the body floating in the waters off Sitio Patag, Barangay Argawanon, San Remegio, 109 km north of here.

The victim bore a single bullet wound in the forehead and was initially identified as Joselito Abrao Pantaleon, 31, from Barangay Hagnaya, San Remegio, said Senior Supt.Clifford Gairanod, Cebu police director.

Pantaleon, who was facing charges of illegal drugs peddling, was reportedly an escapee from a facility operated by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Medellin town, northern Cebu.

Based on a report from San Remegio police station, Pantaleon was one of the suspects in the drug buy-bust operation on Monday in Sitio Patag, where an alleged shoot-out occurred and some drug suspects were reportedly hit while trying to escape.

The drug operation on Monday resulted in the arrest of six persons but the main targets of the operation—Ruben Precillas and Rico Precillas—escaped.

Several packs of “shabu,” drug paraphernalia and a gun were seized during that operation, said PO3 Dante Teaño of the San Remegio Police Station.

Meanwhile, Gairanod asked those whose relatives have gone missing to check the body of a man found along the national highway in Barangay Balud, San Fernando town on Monday.

READ: Man in trash bag wrapped in packing tape found in Cebu

The body was placed inside a garbage bag and wrapped with packaging tape. A note was handwritten on the bond paper posted on the body, which read:  “Tulisan ko DU30 (I am a robber. DU30).”

He was brought to Tupaz Funeral Homes in Carcar City but no one had come forward to claim the body.

Chief Insp. Richard Gadingan, San Fernando police chief, said they had coordinated with other police stations to help identify the victim, who had a shoulder-length hair, was between 40 and 50 years old and stood about five feet and four inches tall.

He was wearing a bra, olive green blouse and black pants.

There was no injury found on the body although the victim was hogtied and a rope was tied around his neck./rga