‘Chop-chop’ body found in ‘Gapo market

OLONGAPO CITY – Chopped up body parts of an unidentified woman were found here last Friday afternoon by garbage collectors in front of a public market at Barangay Pag-Asa in this city.

The body parts, which were in an advanced state of decomposition, were found inside a black garbage bag, which was dumped among other wastes at the garbage collection area in front of the James Gordon Public Market.

Police investigators said they still don’t have leads on the crime. Nobody has yet reported any missing person in the city, the police said.

According to Senior Superintendent Abelardo Villacorta, Olongapo City police director, the body parts were discovered on Friday by some garbage collectors as they were loading up onto a garbage truck the thrash bags collected at the market.

As the garbage collectors were hoisting up one thrash bag, they reportedly noticed a strong smell, Villacorta said.

Upon opening the bag, the garbage collectors discovered body parts composed of a right arm, part of a torso with one breast, and various internal organs.

Because decomposition has set in, “the internal organs could no longer be identified except, perhaps, when they are examined closely in a laboratory,” one investigator said.

Police said the body parts smelled of formalin, which is used in embalming corpses as well as in preserving animal specimens.

The garbage bag containing the body parts also have empty medicine vials in it, investigators added.