Ship cook's body found floating in Manila Bay

MANILA, Philippines - The body of a man who worked as a passenger ship’s cook was found floating in Manila Bay yesterday, a day after he went missing.

Police said the body of Riel Saladaga, 33, who worked as a cook on Negros Navigation Co.’s M/V St. Joseph, was already decomposing when it was found at around 9:30 a.m. at the company dock at Pier 2 in North Harbor, Tondo.

Sandy Delos Reyes, a worker at the North Harbor, found Saladaga’s body floating in the water and immediately informed authorities.

The body was later identified by the victim’s brother, Reniel, who also works for the shipping firm.

Although the body bore no signs of external injury, investigators said an autopsy would be conducted on Saladaga to determine the exact cause of death.

Senior Police Officer 2 Paul Dennis Javier of the Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section said Saladaga was last seen alive on the St. Joseph at around 2 a.m. last Saturday.

Witnesses told investigators they last saw Saladaga before dawn Saturday on the deck of the vessel, apparently on his way to the rest room.

When the ship was about to set sail at around 6 p.m. Saturday, Saladaga was missing so the ship left for Bacolod without him.

Javier said they have yet to determine the exact cause of Salagada’s death, especially since no injuries were found on the body.

“We will look into all angles. We are not discounting the possibility of foul play. It will depend on our investigation,” he said. – Edu Punay