CITY OF CAUAYAN, Isabela — Authorities are eyeing foul play in the slay of a policeman, whose body was found floating at the Pinacanauan river in Centro East village, Palanan town around 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Boat operator Jaypee Bautista of Marikit village found the remains of 41-year-old Senior Police Officer 2 Patrick Udan, member of the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Palanan assigned at the Aviation Station in Barangay Maligaya, of said municipality.
Bautista immediately informed village and police officials and the body was later fished out of the river.
Police report said Udan was seen having a picnic with fellow policeman, Police Officer 1 Villamor Viloria, at the riverbank of Pinacanauan at around 1:30 p.m. on Monday.
The victim, however, was declared missing at about 4:30 p.m. and it was not clear if he drowned in the river.
Police probers are eyeing foul play as the circumstances surrounding Udan’s death were questionable and his fellow policeman did not immediately report his disappearance to their officials.
Palanan town, which still has no direct road access to the mainland and separated by the Sierra Madre mountains, is one of the four coastal towns in Isabela that can only be reached by a plane from either Cauayan or Tuguegarao City, or a boat from Aurora Province. PNA-northboundasia.com