Autopsy shows Briton died of natural causes

CEBU, Philippines - Autopsy reports revealed that the 51-year-old British national who was discovered dead inside his car at the basement of a Cebu City mall last Monday died of natural causes.

Cebu City Homicide chief Jull Muhammad Jamiri told The FREEMAN that there were no signs of struggle on the body of John Christopher Hayes, a services manager of Timex Cebu, which might suggest foul play.

Jamiri said that based on a report submitted by Dr. Joe Fuentes of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory medico-legal officer, the foreigner died of cardiac arrest.

The report also revealed that Hayes was also suffering from severe pneumonia.

“Na ta-ta na gyud ang iyang lungs tungod sa pneumonia nga usa sa mga hinungdan nga namatay siya (victim),” Jamiri said. (He was also suffering from pneumonia.)

The police officer also clarified that the humidity of the parking lot where the victim’s vehicle was parked had nothing to do with his death.

The police are currently coordinating with the British Embassy for the return of the victim’s body to his country.

Hayes was found dead at the driver’s seat of his gray Mitsubishi Fuzion around 11:30 a.m. last Monday. He arrived in the Philippines November last year and was temporarily residing in Silver Hills Subdivision, Barangay Talamban.

The victim was scheduled to attend a video conference with other company executives early that morning. Hayes was last seen looking for his car a few hours before he was found dead.

Investigators found two bottles of gin, an empty bottle of brandy and the victim’s personal effects inside his car. Mall security cameras revealed that Hayes left his car in the basement Sunday night and returned only on Monday.—(FREEMAN)