Bullet-riddled body found in Vigan

Vigan City, Philippines – On 7 August, 2024, at approximately 11:40 AM, Danny Collado Barbosa and Nicanor Belisario Beguas Jr., both residents of Vigan City, discovered the lifeless body of a male individual along Diversion Road in Barangay Cabalangegan. The two men reported the incident to the Vigan City Police Station (CPS) after stopping to urinate and noticing the body lying beside the road, partially covered with linoleum and soaked in blood.

Vigan CPS personnel promptly responded to the scene, where they found the shirtless victim with multiple gunshot wounds. The man was wearing blue shorts and a gold necklace, with his face obscured by a black shirt featuring a coast guard logo. He also had a tattoo of the letter "L" on his left bicep. Dr. Leilani Dela Cuadra from the City Health Office declared the individual dead at the scene.

Despite thorough efforts to identify the victim, no personal identification was found on the body. The Provincial Forensic Unit processed the scene, and the body was subsequently taken to Holy Angel Gabriel Funeral Homes for further examination.

Local authorities appealed to the public for assistance in identifying the victim and gathering information related to the case. The victim was described as approximately 5'2" tall, medium build, and fair complexion.

In a statement to the Daily Tribune, the Philippine Coast Guard North Western Luzon confirmed that all their personnel in Ilocos Sur were accounted for, and no missing troops had been reported from any district or station.

Later that evening, at around 11:20 PM, Richard Esteban Duque, a 45-year-old barangay kagawad of Barangay Subadi Sur, Burgos, Ilocos Sur, appeared at the Vigan City Police Station. He confirmed the identity of the body as his younger brother, Leonardo Esteban Duque, 43 years old, married, a farmer, and a resident of the same barangay.

“The Vigan City PNP continues to investigate the case to determine the circumstances surrounding Leonardo Esteban Duque’s death. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Vigan CPS or your local police station immediately,” said Police Lt. Col. Reynaldo C. Mendoza Jr. in a statement to Daily Tribune.