4 bodies found hours apart

MANILA, Philippines — The bodies of four men, apparent victims of summary execution, were found in separate places in Quezon City in a span of four hours yesterday.

Maj. Elmer Monsalve, who heads the Quezon City police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU), said it is still too early to tell if the killings are connected.

“We are still trying to find out if the victims were dumped or killed on site,” he said in Filipino over dzBB.

Two of the victims were found along Katipunan Avenue in Barangay UP Campus at around 2:34 a.m., police said.

Both are 5’2” in height and of medium build. They died from multiple gunshot wounds in the body.

Probers recovered 15 bullet casings from a firearm of unknown caliber at the scene.

Another victim who sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the body was found in Barangay Fairview at around 3 a.m.

The fourth fatality, meanwhile, was found stuffed in a sack in Barangay E. Rodriguez at around 6:20 a.m., according to the police. The victim had ligature marks on the neck, an indication he was strangled.

Monsalve said they retrieved identification cards from the three men who were shot but he declined to disclose the names pending confirmation from the victims’ families.

Police have coordinated with barangay officials and owners of commercial establishments in the three areas for surveillance camera footage.