Cop's body fished out of Manila Bay

MANILA, Philippines - The decomposing body of a Manila policeman earlier reported missing by his wife was found floating off the waters of Manila Bay in Navotas on Tuesday afternoon.

Senior Superintendent Florendo Quibuyen, Navotas City police chief, said the body of SPO2 Teofilo Panlilio, 53, was fished out by fishermen led by Rolando Roque, 33, of Barangay Tanza, at 3:30 p.m.

“The fishermen were on their way home when they saw Panlilio’s body floating off the waters at the boundary of Manila and Navotas. They towed it to the shore and called the police,” Quibuyen told The STAR.

Quibuyen said the body bore multiple gunshot wounds and was already in the early stage of decomposition.

PO2 Exequiel Sangco said they were able to identify the body as that of Panlilio after coordinating with the Manila Police District (MPD).

Prior to this, Panlilio was reported missing by his wife at the MPD’s general assignment section after he failed to return home on Saturday night.

The following day, an anonymous tipster called the MPD homicide section, informing them that the body of Panlilio was stuffed in a sack in Isla Puting Bato in Tondo but police failed to recover it.

“He was beaten black and blue, his right ear was ripped off and he was shot once in the face and four times in the body,” homicide chief Senior Inspector Joey de Ocampo said.

Revenge eyed

A source at the District Headquarters Support Unit (DHSU) told The STAR that Panlilio had a lover in Isla Puting Bato, where he was reportedly last seen on Saturday night before he disappeared.

The woman, said to be a drug offender and known in the streets of Tondo as “Bangenge,” was found dead Monday night.

She bore bullet wounds in the chest and stomach, police said.

The source added that “Bangenge” was killed first and when Panlilio came looking for her, a man on board a tricycle offered to bring him to her.

The STAR tried again to contact Panlilio’s wife yesterday but to no avail.

Panlilio was formerly assigned at MPD Station 4 and reportedly transferred to the DHSU due to a pending administrative case for being AWOL (absent without official leave).

A police officer told The STAR that Panlilio was facing other cases and has not been receiving salaries since last year.

“That is why he had other extra-curricular activities,” the source said, referring to allegations that the slain policeman was into extortion.

De Ocampo, on the other hand, said that Panlilio was a good police officer and was in Isla Puting Bato following up a case. He confirmed that “Bangenge” was Panlilio’s informant.

Police expressed alarm over his killing. “They just kill police officers like that? We shouldn’t take this sitting down,” a veteran police officer said.

De Ocampo said they have identified the four suspects in the killing of Panlilio but refused to reveal their names pending result of the investigation. He also did not discount the possibility that the killing could be connected to Baseco shootout last week where four alleged robbers were killed.