ILOILO City – Police are still determining the cause of death of a patrolman who was discovered dead, floating in the Iloilo River, on Sunday morning, July 20.
The lifeless body of Patrolman Dande Luis Tayhon was fished out of the river by officers of the Iloilo City Police Station 10 (ICPS 10) and the Philippine Coast Guard after a concerned citizen spotted the body at around 9 a.m.
Authorities said the cop showed no signs of external injuries such as wounds, bruises, or abrasions. A Philippine National Police ID tucked in his cargo pants later confirmed the victim’s identity as a member of the Police Regional Office 6’s Regional Communications and Electronics Unit.
Tayhon, originally from Barangay Tayawan in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, was not reported missing prior to the discovery.
Police Captain Val Cambel, ICPS 10 commander, said the absence of physical injuries has ruled out immediate indications of foul play, but investigators have yet to confirm whether Tayhon was already dead before entering the water.
Cambel said they were awaiting the results of the autopsy to establish the actual cause of death.
He added that, as of press time, there was little to suggest how long the police officer had been in the water, and no cellphone or other belongings were recovered from the scene./PN
