THE man who was found dead in a secluded area in Barangay Langub, Asturias in southwestern Cebu last November 13 was Jiboy Delos Reyes, a 41-year-old Grab driver who was reported missing that same day.

He was identified by his live-in partner Marites Alegado.

Asturias Police Chief Roger Quijano said Delos Reyes succumbed to fatal head injuries. The assailant must have hit him with a hard object, he said.

The police will coordinate with Grab management to identify Delos Reyes’s last passenger.

Quijano said they cannot pin down robbery as the sole motive behind Delos Reyes’s murder.

The police are also looking for the black Nissan Almera (OY-2428) that Delos Reyes was driving when he disappeared. It is owned by Constantino Cuyos of Barangay Poblacion, Sibonga.

Quijano said a farmer had found the dead man in a bushy area of Langub.

The police approached the town’s Public Information Office to help them identify the man, but not a single resident in Asturias knew him.

A few days later, Quijano said they buried the body in the public cemetery.

Late discovery

As for Alegado, she only found out about the dead man who was found in Asturias last Saturday, Dec. 1. She immediately traveled to the town.

After seeing the picture of the dead man, Alegado identified him as her live-in partner.

Delos Reyes’s body was exhumed from the cemetery and was reburied in their hometown of Sibonga on the same day.

Last week, Alegado sought the assistance of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) in finding Delos Reyes. The missing person report then was flashed by the Mobile Patrol Group to all CPPO units.

Alegado said her last phone conversation with Delos Reyes was around 4 p.m. on Nov. 12.

Delos Reyes drove for Grab every day and he never failed to call their two daughters, she said. (From AYB of SuperBalita Cebu/KAL)