20-anyos na nawala sa Nueva Ecija, natagpuang walang buhay sa isang irigasyon

• A missing 20-year-old individual was found dead by a local farmer inside an irrigation canal in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija
• The person who discovered the victim's body is the father of the individual's former partner, raising deep community concerns
• Local authorities tracked CCTV footage showing the victim riding a motorcycle alongside an acquaintance the night of the disappearance
• The primary individual of interest has issued an emotional apology to the grieving family while police continue their investigations

A quiet farming community in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija was gripped by intense grief and shock after a missing 20-year-old local resident, Bella Lutap, was found dead inside a local irrigation canal on Friday afternoon.

The discovery put an agonizing end to a two-day search that began when Bella unexpectedly vanished mid-week.

Local authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, sending shockwaves through the province as investigators scramble to piece together the final hours leading up to the tragic incident.

Read also

LTO suspends van driver's license after student hit on pedestrian lane in Rizal

According to the Zaragoza Municipal Police Station, a local farmer discovered the body at around 3:40 p.m. in Sitio Burnao, Barangay Del Pilar.

In a dramatic twist, the farmer who stumbled upon the scene is the father of Bella's former partner, Calvin.

Police Major Nelson Sarmiento, the chief of police, explained how the discovery unfolded during a routine check of the agricultural fields.

As detailed in an ABS-CBN report, the property owners immediately alerted law enforcement upon finding the body floating in the canal water.

“Pag-aari nila itong lupa kaya noong dumalaw siya sa mga tanim na palay ay nakita niya ang nakalutang na bangkay at inireport kaagad niya sa kapulisan,” Police Major Sarmiento stated during a press briefing.

Investigators quickly backtracked Bella's previous movements utilizing local closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from surrounding areas.

The digital recordings revealed that at approximately 12:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Calvin had fetched Bella from a residence in Barangay Cama Juan, San Antonio, Nueva Ecija.

Subsequent footage from nearby Barangay Macarse captured the two traveling together on a motorcycle just minutes later.

Read also

12-anyos na babae, nasawi matapos madamay sa pamamaril sa Malabon

Law enforcement officers eventually apprehended Calvin, who admitted to fetching Bella but claimed he simply dropped the victim off at a nearby street corner before heading home.

Police are heavily looking into deep personal disagreements and unresolved relationship issues as the central motive behind the incident, noting that the pair had broken up roughly two weeks prior.

Major Sarmiento pointed out that witnesses indicated an attempt to reconcile that was ultimately rejected: “Base po sa mga witnesses na na-interview natin ay gusto raw makipagbalikan ng suspek doon sa biktima parang ayaw na po ata.”

The police chief further explained that a gathering had been planned that night, which never materialized due to the suspect's unexpected actions.

“Ito pong suspek ay nag-set nga po ng pagkikita-kita kasama mga kaibigan at mag-iinuman doon sa isang lugar sa Bgy. San Rafael, kaya itong si suspek nakumbinsi niya itong victim na siya po ang susundo at dadalhin sa pinag-usapang lugar kaya lang po hindi dinala ni suspek yung victim doon sa usapang lugar kaya hindi po natuloy ang paghaharap kasama mga kaibigan,” Sarmiento added, detailing how the forensic team collected DNA swabs at the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) office to ensure an airtight case.

Read also

Woman found dead after shooting incident in Caloocan

Faced with the heavy gravity of the allegations, Calvin broke into tears and issued an emotional statement, saying, “Patawad po, sana mapatawad nila ako, hindi naman po mangyayari yun kung hindi ko dinala doon.”

Meanwhile, Bella’s mother, Marivic Lutap, expressed overwhelming heartbreak over the betrayal, noting she had previously embraced the suspect as part of their own family.

Crying out for immediate legal accountability, Marivic demanded: “Pagbayaran niya at aminin na niya kasi po hindi lang ganyan ginawa niya, pati kami pinapatay na niya sa hirap nararamdaman ko, yung hustiya po, aminin na niya.”

The suspect is currently detained by the authorities as prosecutors finalize the formal filing of criminal charges.

In other news, a young pedestrian suffered superficial wounds when an oncoming commercial vehicle struck them along a marked crosswalk in San Mateo, Rizal. Security camera recordings confirmed that the individual was already utilizing the designated safety crossing before the collision transpired. Transport regulatory officials handed down a formal directive alongside a three-month provisional suspension of the motorist's driving privileges. Law enforcement noted that the driver could deal with far more severe legal repercussions depending on the final results of the active probe. https://kami.com.ph/philippines/188114-lto-suspends-van-drivers-license-student-hit-pedestrian-lane-rizal/

Read also

Riding-in-tandem, tinangay ang nakaparadang motorsiklo sa San Mateo

Still in other news, an armed gang intercepted a group of three travelers in Bukidnon, forcibly stealing cash assets totaling over P1.6 million during the highway assault. A protective security group accompanying the victims engaged in a brief shootout with the assailants until their defensive ammunition was completely depleted. Investigators subsequently tracked down and retrieved a dark pickup truck suspected of being the primary getaway vehicle utilized by the syndicate. Detectives are currently profiling a specific person of interest while examining if an internal collaborator assisted in coordinating the heist. Original URL: https://kami.com.ph/philippines/188112-three-ambushed-bukidnon-withdrawing-p16-million-armed-group-escapes-cash/

Source: KAMI.com.gh