Trigger warning: This article contains details about death and an apparent suicide/hanging, which may be distressing to some readers. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek help.

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A man who had been reported missing earlier this month was found dead, hanging from a mango tree in Barangay 20 Paratong, Paoay, Ilocos Norte, on Monday morning.

Police said a concerned citizen reported to the Paoay Municipal Police Station at around 8:48 a.m. on January 19, 2026, the discovery of the cadaver of an unidentified male suspended by a yellow nylon rope tied to a mango tree.

Upon receiving the report, personnel from the Paoay Municipal Police Station, along with the Bureau of Fire Protection–Paoay and the Rural Health Unit–Paoay, immediately proceeded to the area to verify the incident and conduct an on-site investigation.

Initial findings showed that the body was first discovered at around 7:30 a.m. by a witness who was spraying mango trees in the area at the time.

During the investigation, Meldrick Agudong positively identified the cadaver as his father, a 54-year-old married man and a resident of Barangay Rioeng, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

Authorities confirmed that the victim was the same individual earlier reported missing at the Laoag City Police Station on January 2, 2026, ending a weeks-long search for his whereabouts.

The body was later transported to Jesusa Memorial Home, Chapels and Cremation in Pinili, Ilocos Norte, for post-mortem examination.