AUTHORITIES are now checking the master list of workers involved in the demolition of the NCCC Mall as part of efforts to identify the body found on July 11, more than six months after fire gutted the mall.
Police Chief Inspector Nolan Genova, medico legal officer, has admitted difficulty in identifying the body because it is in an advanced state of decomposition and the head had been burned beyond recognition.
Genova said they have conducted an autopsy. But they could not determine the primary cause of death.
“Hindi malinaw ang cause of death kasi missing ang jaw and throat. Sunog kasi masyado ang ulo particularly ang face. Aside from burn pwede kasi may iba pa cause of death kaso dahil sa status ng katawan nung na-discover na nasa advanced stage of decomposition, nahirapan kami sa primary cause of death,” Genova said.
Talomo Police Station commander Police Chief Inspector Ronald Lao said their investigation team went to the NCCC Mall Davao Tuesday to check the list of personnel of the D.M. Consunji, Incorporated (DMCI), the contractor hired by NCCC to demolish the mall.
“Amo pang gina-verify didto kung kinsa 'to, gina-check pa ang mga trabahante kung naa ba nawala [We are checking on who among the workers have left],” he said.
The Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO 11) estimated that the unidentified man died two weeks before its remains were found last July 11, thus it could not have been among those who died in the December 2017 fire.
“Nag conduct na 'tag initial investigation, niadto ta didto sa area, nag istorya ta sa mga engineer didto, contractor, kung pila kabuok ang trabahante. Kinsay nanguli na, kinsay wala [We conducted the initial investigation. We went to the area, talked to the engineers and contractor as to how many workers they have and who have already left and who are still around],” he said.
Based on the master list of workers, Lao said, they will check their whereabouts. Considering the high fences that cordoned the burnt mall, Lao said it is difficult for outsiders carrying a body to enter the area.
The body was found on the third floor of the fire-stricken structure. Lao said it is even more difficult to carry a body up to the third level.
He said it was possible that the body belonged to a stay-in worker. DMCI brought many workers from Metro Manila.
The workers will also be interviewed on whether they noticed some unusual activities in the past weeks.
The fatality was a male wearing red polo shirt, denim pants and a Unisilver wrist watch. The body was estimated to be from 25 to 35 years old and 5'4" to 5'7" in height.
What makes it harder for authorities to determine the cause of death is that the body had been placed inside a box when they arrived at the scene, Genova said. This disturbed the crime scene.
“And one more thing, tumawag sila ng mga autoridad naka-box na yung body. Dapat tumawag sila nung time na nadiscover yung patay para ma-assess ng maayos yung crime scene,” he said. At present, the cadaver is at the morgue of Angel Funeral Homes. They had already took samples to determine its DNA.