Police working to identify 4 bodies found buried in Compostela, Cebu

Police examine the area where four bodies were found buried in Sitio Bago, Barangay Cogon on Tuesday morning, October 6, 2020. CDN Digital photo | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Police from Compostela town in Cebu are working to determine the identities of the four bodies found buried in a lot in Sitio Bago, Barangay Cogon on Tuesday morning, October 6, 2020.

Police Captain Vincent Zozobrado, commander of the Compostela Police Station, told reporters in a phone interview that they found the four bodies after a man who was looking for plants in the area reported to them about smell of decomposing bodies in the lot. The man reportedly got suspicious when he saw disturbed stack of soil in the area.

“He had a feeling someone was buried there because it was really smelling bad,” Zozobrado said.

When police went to check, they dug and found four bodies in different areas, buried in shallow graves at least a meter apart. 

The bodies were also in different states. Three, identified to be men, were in decomposing states while one was all skeletal remains, which is why the gender couldn’t be determined.

Zozobrado said this means the four bodies were not buried at the same time.

As of this posting, Zozobrado said they are focusing on identifying the bodies. They are coordinating with the neighboring barangays (villages) and nearby towns, asking if they have received are any reports of missing persons in their respective areas. 

Zozobrado said initial investigation shows there were no reports of missing persons in the town for the past month, which raises suspicion that the men may not be from the town.

All the bodies were subjected for an autopsy  to determine the possible cause of death.

/bmjo