MANILA, Philippines – A Frenchman, his Filipina wife and their four-year-old son were found dead inside an abandoned Nissan Navara pickup in Narra, Palawan Wednesday, the police said.
The French embassy in Manila told AFP it was in contact with local authorities over the death of Jean Marc Messina, 54, his wife Jewelyn Venturillo, 25, and their son Guiliano.
Witnesses said the victims had bullet wounds although this is yet to be confirmed in the autopsy conducted by the Palawan provincial crime laboratory office.
It appeared that the Messina family lived at Barangay San Miguel in Puerto Princesa City, about 70 kilometers north of Narra town.
“A local teacher called up the police about the pickup. We sent a team to the area and they discovered the bodies inside,” Palawan provincial police spokesman Inspector Ric Ramos said.
The discovery was made after residents noticed the foul smell coming from the vehicle, which was parked in the area three days before it was checked, and the traces of blood in the area.
Many Westerners live in Palawan, a major tourist destination and famed for wildlife, white-sand beaches, scuba diving and archaeological sites.
Camille Conde, press attache of the French embassy, said the local authorities notified its consul over the deaths.
“We’re still figuring out what happened to the family,” Conde told AFP.