BACOLOD City — A fetus believed to be between six to seven months old was discovered dead inside a cardboard box floating in a river beneath Matab-ang Bridge, Purok Kaburihan, Barangay Estefania, at around 9 a.m. on July 2.
The fetus, reportedly female, was wrapped in black and white plastic and placed inside what appeared to be a shoebox before being abandoned in the river.
According to the couple who made the discovery, Jesus Retome was about to bathe their carabao, while his wife, Raquel Retome, was preparing to take a bath in the river when they noticed a suspicious cardboard box stuck among water spinach plants (locally known as kangkong).
Jesus said a foul odor coming from the box led him to believe it contained a dead animal. He asked his wife to inspect it. Upon opening the box, Raquel was shocked to find the lifeless body of a fetus, still attached to its placenta and with visible traces of fresh blood, suggesting it had not been in the water for long.
The couple immediately reported the incident to Police Station 4 of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO). Responding officers retrieved the remains and launched an investigation to determine the identity of the mother and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Before burial at the Barangay Granada Public Cemetery, the remains were brought to the Church of the Holy Triumph of the Holy Cross for a blessing.
Authorities continue to appeal to the public for any information that may help identify those responsible./PN
