SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao del Sur — Horror gripped residents in parts of Shariff Aguak on Saturday, May 16, after two duck caretakers were found brutally killed and dumped in separate bodies of water, while another companion remains missing amid an ongoing police investigation.
Authorities said the victims were among a group of workers tasked to guard and care for “bebé” or ducklings in the municipality. Their disappearance earlier sparked concern among residents and relatives before the gruesome discovery of the bodies.
Based on initial reports gathered from residents and responding authorities, the victims were discovered floating in a portion of a waterway and drainage canal in Shariff Aguak. Both bodies reportedly bore signs of torture and execution-style killing.
Witnesses and residents who first saw the bodies said the victims’ hands and feet were tightly bound, their eyes covered with blindfolds, and their bodies riddled with gunshot wounds to the head and other parts of the body.
One of the victims was reportedly still wearing green shorts when recovered.
Investigators believe the manner in which the victims were tied and blindfolded indicates they may have been abducted and executed before their bodies were dumped in the water.
Another body was later recovered from a drainage canal or “lining” in the same municipality. Initial information identified the victim as a resident of Barangay Kauran, Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, who also worked as a caretaker of ducks owned by a fellow resident of the same barangay.
Authorities noted that the victim’s hands were also bound when found, further strengthening suspicions of foul play.
Police have yet to release the identities of the victims pending proper notification of their families, while search operations continue for the remaining missing worker believed to have disappeared with the group.
The Shariff Aguak Municipal Police Station has already launched a deeper investigation to determine the motive behind the killings and identify the perpetrators behind what residents described as a “merciless and gruesome crime.”
Investigators are also looking into reports that the victims’ ducks or livestock were taken by the assailants before or after the killings.
Relatives of the victims and local residents are now calling for swift justice and intensified police operations to locate the missing worker and arrest those responsible.
Authorities urged anyone with information regarding the incident to immediately coordinate with the nearest police station as the investigation continues.