ILOILO – Investigators from the Dumangas Municipal Police Station (MPS) have identified a person of interest in the killing of a 37-year-old man whose body was discovered in the middle of a rice field in the town’s Barangay Bolilao on Tuesday afternoon, April 21.
The victim was identified as Elmer Simbahon, a resident of the area but temporarily staying in Barangay Lagubang, Barotac Nuevo, while his wife underwent medical treatment.
Police Senior Master Sergeant Efrin Gonzaga Jr. of the Dumangas MPS said in an Aksyon Radyo Iloilo report that the victim visited Barangay Bolilao on Monday for the local fiesta but returned to Barotac Nuevo that evening.
At around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, police said Simbahon returned to his father’s house to drop off the keys to an e-bike before leaving on his tricycle. Later that morning, his family found his tricycle abandoned by the roadside, prompting a search. It was not until around 2 p.m. that his body was discovered in a nearby field.
Initial police reports indicate that the victim sustained multiple injuries, including a deep stab wound on his right arm and additional wounds near his lower left eye, buttocks, and both thighs.
Authorities have ordered an autopsy to determine if some of the injuries were gunshot wounds.
Dumangas police were eyeing an old grudge as the primary motive for the crime. Background checks revealed that the victim was involved in an altercation with a local resident last month.
As of press time, investigation was ongoing as police work to build a solid case against the suspect./PN
