MAHAYAG, Zamboanga del Sur — A male teacher who was reported missing a day earlier was found dead on Tuesday morning in a riverside area in Purok 3, Lower Salug Daku, authorities confirmed.
The victim was identified as Elmer Sayson, 64, an active faculty member of the Josefina H. Cerilles State College (JHCSC) – Dumingag Campus.
According to initial information gathered, Sayson’s lifeless body was discovered along the riverbank in Purok 3 of Barangay Lower Salug Daku in the municipality of Mahayag.
Local authorities immediately responded to the scene after residents reported the discovery. Personnel from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), the Rural Health Unit (RHU), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and barangay officials conducted the initial response and documentation of the incident.
Authorities said the teacher had been reported missing by his family on Monday morning.
In a social media post circulating online, Sayson’s son appealed to the public for help locating his father, saying he was last seen around 6:00 a.m. Monday in Purok Kalobian, Lower Salug Daku, Mahayag.
“Basin naa naka kita o naka bantay sa amo Papa Elmer Sayson, 64 years old, 4’11 ang height, fair skin. Nabantayan nga nawala gahapon adlaw nga Lunes alas 6 sa buntag,” the son wrote, asking anyone with information to contact him and his sibling.
The family had expressed concern after the teacher failed to return home, prompting them to seek help from the public.
The circumstances surrounding Sayson’s death remain unclear as of this writing. Authorities have yet to determine whether foul play was involved.
Police said a thorough investigation is underway, including a medico-legal examination, to establish the exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, the sudden death of the veteran educator has saddened members of the academic community and residents in the area, as colleagues and former students remembered him as a dedicated teacher who served at the JHCSC Dumingag Campus.