Victims' Faces Wrapped with Packaging Tape

2 bodies dumped in Manila
By Jeannette Andrade, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03/23/2011
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20110323-327083/2-bodies-dumped-in-Manila

Two bodies, both believed to be victims of summary execution, were found early Tuesday within an hour of each other in the Sampaloc area of Manila.

Manila Police District homicide section investigators described one of the bodies as between 40 and 50 years old, five-foot-four inches tall, slim, dark-skinned, wearing a white sleeveless shirt and black slacks.

The other was described as between 35 and 40 years old, five-foot tall, dark-skinned, slim, with a mole on the left side of his face above his upper lip. He was clad in a white collared shirt and denim pants, and had packaging tape covering his face.

Both bodies bore ligature marks around their necks.

At around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday, the first body was found along Antipolo Street, Barangay 543 Zone 54.

Police Officer 1 Michael Pavon, of the MPD homicide section, said that before the body was dumped, a resident in the area saw five or more persons hurriedly unload onto the street an unconscious man from a tricycle. Pavon pointed out that once the body was abandoned on the pavement, the group hurriedly left aboard the tricycle and a motorcycle. (NOTE: This is one of the few times that there were witnesses during the body dump and indicates that these acts are done by a group.)

The witness, out of curiosity, approached the body and immediately sought the assistance of village officials.

Pavon said that aside from the ligature mark, the victim also had a cut on his left eyebrow and bruises on his eyes.

The second body was discovered at 5 a.m. at the corner of Laong Laan and Asturias streets, Barangay 471 Zone 46 by village watchman Josefino Santiago.

Senior Police Officer 2 Edmundo Cabal, case investigator, said that Santiago initially thought that the man lying face down on the pavement had fainted due to drunkenness. But when he turned over the man, he discovered that his face had been covered with packaging tape and was dead. The barangay tanod immediately reported his find to the police.

Cabal noted a ligature mark around the victim’s neck, similar to the first body.

Homicide investigators theorized that both killings could have been perpetrated by the same group.

Both bodies were brought to the St. Harold funeral parlor homes for autopsy and safekeeping while homicide section operatives conduct follow-up operations for the identification of the slain men as well as the arrest of their killers.