Body of missing treasure hunter found

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Soldiers fished out yesterday from a river traversing the border of Maguindanao and North Cotabato the body of a treasure hunter who was reported missing by his family on Aug. 28.

Eddie Jesus Apostol was found hogtied and bore two gunshot wounds in the head, according to Col. Prudencio Asto, public affairs chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

Operatives from the Army’s 5th Special Forces Battalion learned of Apostol’s floating cadaver from villagers in Barangay Masulot, in Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao.

Apostol, a former municipal councilor of Magpet in North Cotabato, left his house on his motorcycle along with an unidentified companion.

Relatives of Apostol said he could have been enticed by the suspect to go treasure hunting in Pikit where he was divested of his brand new Honda XRM motorcycle before he was killed.

Soldiers found a press ID on Apostol, but his relatives said he was not a journalist.