A man who had been missing for three days was found dead with his body burned in Balilihan town on Saturday.
Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Pinasa of the Balilihan Police Station said the charred body of Romeo Tejada, 44, of Batuan town was found by the victim’s cousin Rene Buaya at a cliff near a national road in Barangay Maslog, Balilihan.
Tejada who was a farm technician was last seen leaving from work at the Bohol Quality Corporation’s piggery in Barangay Pandol, Corella at 5 p.m. on February 2.
“Matud sa supervisor na sa Miyerkules, Hwebes ug Biyernes wa na ni siya mo report og duty. Abi nila og gihilantan ra moa ng wa ra nila pangitaa,” said Pinasa.
The victim’s family reported him missing at the Corella Police Station on February 5. They also started to look for him on February 6 and found him on the same day.
The family claimed that they found the body through the advice of a “mananagna” or soothsayer while Tejada’s wife also told police that she dreamt that her husband was still alive and was abducted.
However, the town’s police chief, Lt. Jefrin Eulogiom, said they are still continuing their probe to determine how Tejada’s family knew of his whereabouts and other circumstances surrounding his death.
“Sa science wa man gud ng tagna-tagna, mao ang atong imbestigasyon wa ra pud naglimit ana. Tanan na aspect atong gi tan-aw. Sa pagkakaron, ato pong gitan-aw ng point na nganong na tultulan nila ang patayng lawas,” Eulogio said.
Tejada had no known enemies based on the police’s initial probe.
Eulogio said that they were still also set to conduct further interviews with the victim’s family.
“Usa pud ni na atong gilantaw, di ta mo ingon na bisan sila biktima, ato silang gidudahan apan wa nato ebaliwala na maapil ng mga puntuha sa atong investigation,” he said.
Authorities still need to conduct an autopsy to determine if the victim sustained other injuries before he was burned.
Eulogio said that health authorities were unable to thoroughly examine the body physically due to its decomposed state and burned parts. (Allen Doydora)