Floating drum in Malabon yields body

The body of a man believed to be a victim of summary execution was found early yesterday stuffed inside a steel drum in Malabon City.

Fisherman Jesus Mapandon discovered the body at around 6 a.m. when he was inspecting his fishpond on Kagitingan Extension in Barangay Muzon, Malabon.

Police investigator SPO1 Ferdinand Espiritu said when Mapandon examined the floating drum, he saw what appeared to be blood leaking.

He immediately called for police assistance.

The responding officers, led by Malabon police chief Superintendent Moises Guevarra, retrieved the drum which was sealed in cement.

Workers used a jackhammer and other tools to open the drum. Inside they discovered a body.

Police described the victim as around 35 to 40 years old and 5’6" in height. He had a tattoo on his left shoulder with the word "Alex."

A wire was found around the victim’s neck. The body bore several wounds.

"He could be a salvage victim and was dumped in our area, but we are still trying to determine this," Espiritu said.

He said the Northern Police District-Scene of the Crime Operations (NPD-SOCO) team was examining the cadaver to determine what caused the wounds.

"It could be stab wounds or gunshot wounds," Espiritu said.

Last Wednesday morning, residents of Cielito Homes, Zabarte Road in Camarin, Caloocan City North, also found a thigh placed inside a black garbage bag dumped in the area.

Residents said a Toyota Tamaraw FX, accompanied by a gray Toyota sedan, threw the bag in a dimly lit portion of Genesis street on Cielito Homes. Witnesses, however, failed to jot down the plate numbers of the vehicles.