KORONADAL CITY / LAKE SEBU, South Cotabato — The lifeless body of a 48-year-old man was discovered floating in the waters near a tourism lodge in Sitio Pag-asa, Barangay Poblacion, Lake Sebu, on Tuesday morning, January 13, 2026, after three days of being reported missing.
The victim was identified as Hadon Blagay Lacay, also known to family and friends as “Ngadot,” a fisherman and resident of the same barangay.
According to his brother, Romeo Blagay Lacay, Hadon was last seen alive on Sunday, January 11, at around 11:00 a.m. He reportedly went out that morning and failed to return home. Another family account said he was last seen at a drinking session in town before he disappeared.
Concerned relatives immediately searched for him, but their efforts yielded no results until his body was found floating near the lakeshore, close to a tourism lodge in Sitio Pag-asa.
Authorities from the Lake Sebu Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Philippine Coast Guard–Lake Sebu, and Lake Sebu Municipal Police Station swiftly responded to the scene and conducted a retrieval operation to recover the body.
Initial police reports noted deep wounds on the victim’s neck and shoulder, raising suspicions of possible foul play. The family also expressed belief that Hadon may have been killed elsewhere and later dumped into the lake.
The victim’s remains were brought to a funeral parlor in Surallah, South Cotabato, where they are scheduled to undergo post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
Police said the investigation is ongoing to establish whether the death was the result of a crime or an accidental drowning.
“We are thoroughly looking into all angles of this case to determine the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death,” the Lake Sebu police said.
Authorities are urging anyone with information related to the incident to come forward and assist in the investigation.