KIDAPAWAN CITY -- The body of a driver believed to be a victim of the latest motorcycle theft incident in Carmen town in North Cotabato was found Sunday.
The body was dumped in an abandoned lot on the boundary of Barangay Kibenes and Barangay Ranzo, both in Carmen town.
Senior Inspector Winston Seniel, Carmen police chief, identified the victim as Danny Balabagan, a habal-habal driver and a resident of Barangay Liliongan, Carmen.
Balabagan sustained several wounds in different parts of his body.
Seniel said two still unidentified passengers, who hired the victim while on their way to Barangay Ranzo, also in Carmen, stabbed the driver to death.
Seniel believed theft of motorcycle was the motive behind the killing of Balabagan.
Recovered from the crime scene were only some parts of the motorcycle.
The alleged motorcycle theft was the second in North Cotabato since weekend, reports from the provincial police office said.
Around 12 p.m. Monday, a still unidentified suspect carted away a Honda XRM motorcycle parked inside the residence of the owner, Timmy Love Fernandez, in Amas, Kidapawan City.
Since January, motorcycle theft incidents in the province have reached 40, and Kidapawan City has the most number of cases; of these, less than 10 were recovered. (Malu Cadelina Manar)