A man who was trying to escape from police during an anti-illegal cockfighting raid drowned after he was believed to have jumped into a dam in Ubay town.

Corporal Randy Tuyor of the Ubay Police Station said the remains of Catalino Gementiza, 49, of San Miguel town, were found by authorities floating in the Bayongan Dam at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, two days after the raid on Sunday.

“Pag abot sa mga police na ni-raid, ni dagan ni sila unya kani sila nilukso sa dam kay nahadlok madakpan,” said Tuyor.

A day after the raid, Gementiza’s family filed a missing person report and confirmed to authorities that he was last seen on Sunday when he told them that he was going to a cockfight in Ubay.

Tuyor said that they collared 18 individuals during the operation but Gementiza was not among those apprehended.

“Wa mi kabantay pila kabuok ang nakadagan kay perteng daghana man gud namuwang,” he added.

Ubay and San Miguel authorities then conducted a search and rescue operation at the dam, which was only around 15 meters away from the site of the raid.

“Pagka Domingo man tong raid  sa hapon, pagka ugma na sila ni sumbong sa San Miguel [police] kay wa na man mo uli,” said Tuyor.

Authorities noted that several persons who were at the illegal cockfight jumped into a dam but only Gementiza, who had a lung condition, was not able to make it back to land.

“Kani naa man kunoy sakit, mura’g hubakon, mao sigyuro to kay gikan dagan unya ni ambak, hangak pa kaayo,” said Tuyor. (A. Doydora)