Lure of reward money results in man’s death

A man who was allegedly promised a reward for the recovery of a cell phone that fell into a manmade lagoon at a park in Quezon City was found dead on Monday afternoon.

Chief Inspector Rodelio Marcelo, head of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said that the body of Derick Aquino, 29, a janitor at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, was found floating in the waist-deep waters of the lagoon at 2 p.m.

The victim had bruises on his chest and face and was clad only in his underwear.

“He was supposedly promised cash by [someone] if he could recover the cell phone [which was] accidentally dropped into the lagoon’s murky waters,” Marcelo said.

He added that they were waiting for the results of the autopsy to determine whether or not there was foul play involved in the victim’s death.

Florentino Singian, the victim’s supervisor, told the police that the last time they saw him, Aquino was talking to a man who was complaining that his cell phone fell into the lagoon on Sunday evening.

The victim told his coworkers that the man had offered him money for the recovery of the cell phone.

Singian said he never thought the victim would take the offer seriously.