The body of a 72-year-old man, who was missing for three days, was found along the shores in Barangay Minolos, Barili, Cebu on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The body of an elderly man, who has been missing for three days, was discovered by a passing motorcycle rider along the shores of Barangay Minolos, Barili, Cebu on Tuesday morning, November 21, 2023.
According to a social media post by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Barili, a barangay councilor called their office at around 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday and reported a dead man found in the area.
A motorcycle rider reportedly passed by the area and noticed the motionless body among the mangroves. The rider then relayed his discovery to a barangay councilor who then called the MDRRMO.
Emergency personnel immediately headed to Sitio Estaca in Barangay Minolos to verify the report and found a man lying face down on the shore wearing an orange shirt and shorts.
Shortly after, the body was identified by family members who heard about the report. They recognized the victim’s clothes as those of their loved one.
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The victim was identified as 72-year-old Alfredo Toledo Tubat who was living with his wife and kids in Barangay Cabiangon, Pinamungajan town.
In an interview with local radio station dyHP, the victim’s daughter, Rebekah Obenza Tubat, said that when they saw a photo of the body that was found, she immediately knew it was her father because of the clothes that the victim was wearing. She said these are similar to the ones worn by their father before he went missing.
She also relayed that her father had issues with his mental and physical health.
Rebeka said that her father had been missing since Friday, November 18, after he went for a walk outside their house on his own without informing his sleeping wife.
The victim was last seen near a river located around 40 meters from their house, according to his family. Since then, his family has been searching for him.
The victim’s cadaver was brought to a funeral home in Barangay Pinamungajan, according to MDRRMO.
According to Rebeka, she believes that her father was hanging around the river when he lost his balance and fell into the water. She added that her father’s body was possibly washed up to the shoreline because of the heavy rain earlier experienced in the area.
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Meanwhile, Barili Mayor John-John Garcia offered his condolences to the victim’s family through a statement on his social media account.
Garcia said in the post that Rebekah, her sister Remalyn, and their mother Rosita, had already claimed Tubat’s body and informed police of the incident.
He added that the family had ruled out foul play as the cause of their patriarch’s death.
“The Barili LGU and I have offered everything in our capacity to assist the Tubat family in bringing their dear father back home. Having lost a father myself, I understand the pain that they’re going through. Pwerteng sakita. Dili lalim,” stated the mayor.