by Eldie Aguirre | Philippine News Agency
DIGOS CITY – Police officials in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur are seeking the public’s help to identify the cadaver of a woman found floating a few kilometers from its shorelines.
In a statement Friday (Jan. 28), Maj. Kristine Miraña, the Sta. Cruz police chief said the Provincial Crime Laboratory Office in Digos City, Davao del Sur on Jan. 25 had taken a buccal swab specimen/sample from the cadaver to extract its DNA to hasten the identification of the victim.
The municipal health officer of Sta. Cruz town has also finished their post-mortem examination, the police said.
Miraña said these steps were part of police protocol in cases wherein the identity of the victim has yet to be established.
On Jan. 22, residents of Barangay Coronon, Sta. Cruz were in shock upon seeing the dead body of a woman floating in the sea.
At 10:00 a.m. on the same day, the Coast Guard reported to the local police seeing the cadaver floating about 3.2 km. from the shoreline, as recorded by Staff Sgt. Frederick Laranyo of the Sta. Cruz police.
The authorities were baffled after they found out that the body was hog-tied aside from the container full of concrete tied to the body, presumably to prevent the body from surfacing.
The police described the woman as between 5 ft. and 5’2″ in height, 25 years to 35 years in age, with a white complexion, and petite.
Miraña surmised that the woman was not a resident of the nearby areas as there was no claimant as of press time despite being highlighted in some media outfits.
“To those who lost or have a missing loved one on that timeline, they could contact the local police or visit the body that is now kept at the Esperanza Funeral Homes in the locality,” he said. (PNA) – bny
