Body found floating in Mandaue’s sea

CEBU, Philippines - A man who was suspected of stealing scrap metals was found floating dead in the waters off a shipyard in Barangay Opao, Mandaue City yesterday morning.

The fatality, 27-year-old Titi Perosa of Barangay Looc, had a wound in his forehead, believed to be from a gunshot.

SPO3 Marcos Noval, Jr. of Mandaue City Police Office said the body appeared to have been floating for the past 24 hours before it was discovered at 6 a.m. yesterday.

The body was discovered by one Pitong Zambo who went to VM Cabahug Shipyard supposedly to go fishing but withdrew upon seeing the body floating off the shipyard.

He then reported it to the shipyard’s caretaker, Cal Entrampas, who called up the police.

The victim was identified by his brother Roping Perosa, 22, who earlier reported the victim missing. He said his brother failed to return home for lunch last Saturday after proceeding to the shipyards in Barangay Opao to get scrap irons from beneath the sea early that morning.

Roping said that before going to the police station yesterday, he went to the vicinity of the shipyard to look for his brother but got surprised after seeing only the boat his brother used.

Noval said they will subject the body to an autopsy to verify the wound the victim sustained.

“Wala man hinuo’y exit wound, pero kung gunshot wound to, posible ang bala na-stuck ra didto sa sulod,” Noval said.

Perosa could have been shot by one of the guards in the nearby shipyard, where the victim docked his boat before diving for the scrap irons, police said.

Noval said they have now the lead on the identity of the suspect but withholds information because they are now hunting him down.

“Uso man gud ang kawat diha og scrap metals, unya nasakpan siguro to siya pud nanguha. Pero wa lang unta sad pusila oy,” the police officer said.

In October last year, a security guard also shot and wounded a suspected scrap metal thief at a shipyard in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City. — (FREEMAN)