Missing man found dead in Dalaguete

Six days after he was reported missing, a 41-year-old man was found dead under a culvert on a barangay road in Dalaguete town Saturday morning.

The body of Rufino Amandoron, a married farmer of sitio Private, barangay Mantalongon of the town, was discovered by Evergisto Amaya, who owns a chayote (sayote) farm, a few meters where the corpse was found. Initial police investigation however raised the question: Did Rufino commit suicide or was he killed? Reports from the Dalaguete police that reached the Cebu Provincial Office earlier stated that an autopsy would be conducted.

But when The FREEMAN called up the Dalaguete Police yesterday afternoon, policeman on duty SPO3 Benjamin Villahermosa said Rufino was already given burial rites after the family was allegedly convinced that he committed suicide.

Rufino's brother, Alejandro, told the police that the last time he saw his brother alive was last October 2, after which he disappeared since October 3.

Yet the suicide angle could be somehow confounding because, the police said, Rufino had gunshot wounds on the chest and forehead. The police had recovered a cal-.357 revolver, with a live bullet and two empty shells in the gun's cylinder, near the body. - Ryan P. Borinaga