CEBU CITY, Philippines — An electrical engineer from Cagayan de Oro City was found dead inside a condominium unit in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City on Thursday morning, March 14.
Investigators from the Mabolo Police Station identified the victim as Engineer Helbert Tual, who was 49 years old.
Their initial findings showed that Tual died due to natural causes.
Chief Inspector Dindo Alaras, chief of the Mabolo Police Station, confirmed reports that Tual’s corpse was already in a state of decomposition when they responded to the area.
“Around two to three days na siya patay,” said Alaras in a phone interview with Cebu Daily News Digital.
He added that Tual was in Cebu City to attend a week-long conference.
“Naabot siya dinhi March 9 (last Saturday) unya nag-abang lang siya ug condominium unit,” said Alaras.
Police from Mabolo Police Station received a dead-person alarm from the management of a high-rise condominium located along M.J. Cuenco Avenue in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City past 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Alaras said Tual’s relatives from Cagayan de Oro City told investigators that they contacted the condominium’s management to check on the engineer since he was no longer responding to their calls for two days.
“Nacontact nasad namo ang mga kabanay ani niya. Actually sila ang nagcontact (karung adlawa) sa management sa condominium kay wala kunoy reply-reply ang biktima, wala say tubag-tubag sa mga tawag,” said Alaras.
“Nabalaka sila (pamilya ni Tual) kay naa daw ni siya’y sakit sa kasing-kasing,” he added.
On the other hand, Alaras said they already filed a request to conduct an autopsy on the cadaver.
“Ipa-autopsy pa nato ni para madetermine gyud unsa ang cause of death niya. Kay initial pa man ni atoa (nga namatay siya tungod sa natural cause),” Alaras said. / elb