Another body found along Manila street

MANILA, Philippines - The body of an unidentified man, wrapped in a garbage bag and stuffed in a balikbayan box, was found on Matimyas street in Sampaloc, Manila yesterday morning.

Last week, the torso of former call center agent Mark Rey Abesamis was found in a similar condition on the same street. His head and legs had been cut off.

At around 4:30 a.m. yesterday, tricycle driver Ernesto Gillera found the box – which had been wrapped in packaging tape – under an acacia tree at the intersection of Matimyas and Sobriedad streets.

He told police he kicked the box, but upon finding that the contents were relatively soft and the pavement underneath the box had bloodstains, he rushed to the Sampaloc police station.

The male victim, whom Gillera described as between 5’2” and 5’3” in height, had three stab wounds in the chest and a stab wound in the face, which was also covered with packaging tape.

The victim’s hands were bound with plastic string while his feet were tied with a red belt.

Gillera described the victim as dark-complexioned “skinhead.” The victim was clad in a black long-sleeved shirt and short pants.

Abesamis’ torso was wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed in a box and left under a tree at the corner of Matimyas and Maceda streets.

Abesamis told his wife that he was going to meet his mother’s friend, identified only as George, in a mall in Fairview, Quezon City. He was supposed to deliver a package for George sent by his mother from abroad. He left in a Toyota Altis with license plate NQY-611, according to his family.

His wife suspected that the two failed to meet because the package intended for George was found near the victim’s body.