Identity of the bones recovered at NCCC mall ruins still unknown
By Roel Tibay
Published Sep 4, 2018 07:34 pm
By Antonio Colina IV
DAVAO CITY – The identity of the human bones recovered in the ruins of the ill-fated NCCC Mall Davao is still a mystery to the police nearly eight weeks it they were discovered by demolition workers.
NCCC Mall
(Keith Bacongco / MANILA BULLETIN) “Wala pang nag-claim (No one has claimed yet),” Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO) 11 medico legal officer Chief Insp. Dr. Nolan Genova said. Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum said police were still investigating the discovery of the human bones, and have initially surmised that the victim was one of the workers of D.M. Consunji Inc. that handled the demolition of the NCCC Mall Davao. He said the contractor was not cooperating with authorities in the investigation, making them “persons of interest.” Tagum said it was highly suspicious how the workers, who discovered the bones, placed these in a box even before reporting it to authorities. He said it compromised the evidence. “Kahit na immediately ni-report nila sa amin, gumawa sila ng paraan na i-sanitize ang lugar at linisin ang lugar kaya kami nagdududa rin at yan ang rason kung bakit mas pina-igting namin ang aming investigation (Even if they immediately reported it to us, they found a way to sanitize the area and cleansed the area. That’s why, we are very suspicious. This is the reason why we intensified the investigation),” he added. Tagum said investigators suspected the victim was killed after he was accused of stealing some recovered items from the destroyed mall but he refused to disclose more details as the authorities are still investigating the incident. The examination conducted on the skeletal remains ruled out any suspicion that the victim was among the 38 who perished in the fire incident because it was found that the male victim had been dead for only 12 to 16 days, with some decomposing flesh still intact. His age was estimated between 25 and 35, about 5’4’’ to 5’7’’ in height, wearing red polo shirt and jeans with a Unisilver wrist watch.
NCCC Mall(Keith Bacongco / MANILA BULLETIN) “Wala pang nag-claim (No one has claimed yet),” Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO) 11 medico legal officer Chief Insp. Dr. Nolan Genova said. Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum said police were still investigating the discovery of the human bones, and have initially surmised that the victim was one of the workers of D.M. Consunji Inc. that handled the demolition of the NCCC Mall Davao. He said the contractor was not cooperating with authorities in the investigation, making them “persons of interest.” Tagum said it was highly suspicious how the workers, who discovered the bones, placed these in a box even before reporting it to authorities. He said it compromised the evidence. “Kahit na immediately ni-report nila sa amin, gumawa sila ng paraan na i-sanitize ang lugar at linisin ang lugar kaya kami nagdududa rin at yan ang rason kung bakit mas pina-igting namin ang aming investigation (Even if they immediately reported it to us, they found a way to sanitize the area and cleansed the area. That’s why, we are very suspicious. This is the reason why we intensified the investigation),” he added. Tagum said investigators suspected the victim was killed after he was accused of stealing some recovered items from the destroyed mall but he refused to disclose more details as the authorities are still investigating the incident. The examination conducted on the skeletal remains ruled out any suspicion that the victim was among the 38 who perished in the fire incident because it was found that the male victim had been dead for only 12 to 16 days, with some decomposing flesh still intact. His age was estimated between 25 and 35, about 5’4’’ to 5’7’’ in height, wearing red polo shirt and jeans with a Unisilver wrist watch.