BY JEN BAYLON
ILOILO City – This city woke up to a horrifying morning yesterday following the discovery of mutilated human body parts in two separate locations, believed to be the result of a summary execution.
Two severed arms were discovered inside a sack of animal feed in Barangay Ticud, La Paz district.
The situation took a chilling turn approximately two hours later when a man’s decapitated and armless torso was found near the river in Barangay Buhang, Jaro district.
Adber Jadulos, the owner of the farm where the sack containing the severed arms was found, made the initial gruesome discovery.
“I was about to grab the sack when I noticed a hand protruding from it,” Jadulos recounted.
On the other hand, Carlo Gregorio reported seeing a white van with tinted windows and no license plate passing through the vicinity around 1 a.m. yesterday.
The city police’s Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) conducted an initial investigation and determined that the arms belonged to a male individual. No distinguishing marks, tattoos, or accessories were found on them.
Shortly afterward, Tirso Acosta, a security guard, stumbled upon the decapitated torso near the river in Barangay Buhang.
“I thought it was just garbage; I was about to collect the sack when I saw feet sticking out,” Acosta said.
The absence of streetlights and surveillance cameras in the area presented challenges, according to barangay tanod Samson Anas of Buhang.
The dismembered torso of a man, whose identity remains unknown at the time of this report, had sustained six stab wounds to the chest and stomach.
Authorities also found three sachets of suspected shabu inside the victim’s only remaining piece of clothing, his underwear.
The sack containing the victim bore a cardboard sign with the message, “IBALIK ANG KAMAY NA BAKAL, BABALA SA MGA PUSHER, PDU30,” and “MERRY CHRISTMAS 2023.”
As of this writing, authorities are struggling to determine the ownership of the hands as well as the identity of the torso. The search for the victim’s head continues.
The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has launched a comprehensive investigation. Police Colonel Joeresty P. Coronica, director of the ICPO, has ordered the concerned station commanders to conduct an in-depth investigation to identify the victim and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.
While no missing person reports have been filed in the area, La Paz Police chief Lieutenant Greg Matutino stated that they have initiated coordination with other law enforcement agencies.
Police Major Eduardo Siacon Jr., the station commander of the Jaro police station, is actively collaborating with other units to expedite the investigation.
Siacon acknowledged the possibility that the torso and amputated limbs found in different locations might belong to the same individual.
ICPO spokesperson Major Shella Mae Sangrines mentioned that they have yet to establish any connections between the two discoveries.
“As of now, they are reviewing, following up on several CCTV footage in the vicinity leading to the place where the missing parts believed to belong to the deceased were found,” Sangrines said.
She added, “We cannot yet conclude that the dismembered torso corresponds to the severed arms. Although the Jaro and La Paz police are communicating and assisting each other, there is a possibility, but it is not conclusive.”
Mayor Jerry Treñas has ordered the ICPO to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents.
“I am deeply concerned by the reports regarding the mutilated remains found today in La Paz and Jaro districts. I have directed the Iloilo City Police Office to conduct a thorough investigation so the perpetrators can be brought to justice,” Treñas said.
He continued: “We do not tolerate this kind of heinous crime in our city, including illegal drugs, especially since we are known as a peaceful and safe metropolis. I call on the public to be vigilant, to cooperate with the authorities, and to help by reporting crimes or suspicious and illegal activities in your area.” /PN
