LALA, Lanao del Norte — A group of sseven (7) individuals who are relatives left the town of Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur on January 5, for a job in Cebu City but on January 7, members of Sapad Police in Lanao del Norte found their lifeless bodies in a shallow ditch in remote part of Lapao, Barangay Karkum, Sapad, Lanao del Norte.
Police Major Alibsar Daraba said, they received a call on Sunday stating among others that a newly dug hole was suspiciously covered, and when the police inspect the area, it turned out a graveyard of the victims.
They immediately called the municipal health officer who authorized the exhumation and they found seven (7) cadavers in a shallow hole.
The victims were identified through their identification cards as couple Joselito Gaviola and Marly Gaviola (couple), Elvie Gaviola Lenara and Epifanio Lenara (couple), and their children Jopay Lenara, Jomar Lenara and Epifanio Lenara Jr., all residents of purok Dama de Noche, Sitio Luguimit, Poblacion Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur.
The victims were shoe repairmen workers in their town.
Winne Dalora, Gaviola’s sister told the police that on January 5, the group left Margosatubig to meet the certain Edwin in Pagadian City , who will bring them to Cebu City.
The families left Margosatubig after they were recruited to work at a soap factory in Cebu City with a monthly salary of P7,000. The invitation further stated that the familyes can bring along their children, “After that we did not hear from them,” Calora added.
Major Daraba theorized, the victims were abducted as their faces were wrapped with masking tapes and their hands hogtied, their bodies showed gun shot wounds.
Police investigators found empty shells of .45 caliber pistol.
The loval government of Margosatubig sent dump trucks to Sapad and brough the cadavers to their town for the proper burial.
The police are still investigating the case.
