BAGUIO CITY — Police forces identified the body found early morning of August 16 under a bridge in A. Tabora barangay here.

The body was clad in a black leather jacket, black sweat shirt and brown pair of pants, with a gun holster. The gun, however was reportedly missing.

Around 2:00A.M. Saturday August 16, a mugging was reported at the Camdas police station. The victim stated that a hitchhiker she gave a lift in the cab she had hailed on her way to Guinawang from La Trinidad Km 3 held her at gunpoint, and made off with her cellular phone. The woman immediately reported the crime at a police station.

Six hours later, Marcelo Tay-ob Bilog, 26, found a body face down in the Balili river while scavenging for plastic, the body’s description matching that of the mugger reported earlier.

Bilog, with the help of a certain “Ompong,” pulled out the cadaver and placed it on the riverside where it was less likely for the body to be carried away by the current.

Police investigation later identified the body as Arnell Licayo Damian, 30, of no permanent address, and without any immediate family member to contact.

Recovered among Damian’s effects was the cellphone purportedly stolen earlier, but without the gun allegedly used for the assault.

According to police Chief Inspector Marvin Diplat, Camdas police station commander, a witness also reported seeing Damian jump off the bridge that night, most probably to shake off any pursuers and evade arrest.

As of press time, the cause of death is still undetermined as autopsy reports are still unavailable. # Myko Chiong