Body of witness vs illegal drugs found decomposing

CEBU, Philippines - A witness in a high-profile illegal drugs case in the country was found dead yesterday morning in his house in Naya Subdivision, sitio Rattan, Tanke, Talisay City.

The body of Bernard Liu, who once testified before the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs in 2001 against his former employer businessman Peter Go Lim and his brother Wellington, was discovered already in a state of decomposition.

Barangay officials, tanods and police officers forced their way inside Liu’s house.Supt. Eddie Recamara, Talisay City Police Station’s acting chief, said they got a report from Tanke barangay councilman Leo Labajo, who learned from Liu’s neighbors about the unusual smell from inside Liu’s house.

Liu, who was usually out every morning and afternoon to buy his food, had not been seen by neighbors for the last two weeks.

This prompted the neighbors to report to authorities, who checked Liu’s gated property.

Investigators found it unusual that the main door was padlocked and that there was an iron bar blocking it. Authorities had to break this so they could enter the house.

Recamara said Liu must have died “three days or almost a week.”

The cause of his death has yet to be known.

As of yesterday afternoon, Scene of the Crime Operatives who aided the local police in the investigation could not say yet whether Liu was killed or he died of natural causes.

According to a spot report from the Talisay Police, “a rope was seen beside the victim.”

Junnie Padillo, 24, who was among those who first saw Liu’s dead body, also said there was a “thick rope” around Liu’s neck.

The victim was found lying on the floor with his mouth open like he was trying to scream, said Padillo, a former helper of Liu.

Bernie Labajo, another former helper of Liu who lives nearby and who was first called by neighbors because stench was coming from inside the victim’s house, said he noticed a wound in Liu’s abdomen.

It was, however, not clear to him if it was a stab wound as Liu’s entire body was covered black with grease, he said. The grease is said to be the reason the stench was partly contained.

A bolo was reportedly recovered from the victim’s bed but there was no smear of blood in it.

Liu, who was in his 50s, was living alone after his long-time live-in partner left him. Their only daughter, Abigail, also left him reportedly because of his temper. He hired helpers but they also abandoned him for the same reason. — /JPM (FREEMAN)