GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Police are working to establish the identity and circumstances surrounding the death of an unidentified man whose body was found in a vacant, overgrown area in Barangay Lagao, General Santos City, on Sunday morning, September 13, 2026.
Police Major Rogelio P. Gabriel Jr., Chief of the General Santos City Police Office’s Lagao Police Station, confirmed that the remains were those of an unidentified male, ending earlier uncertainty over the victim’s gender.
The body was discovered at around 8:15 a.m. in the vicinity of Purok 3, Barangay Lagao, in an area near the Emergency Road and the RMMC Lagao campus.
Residents in the nearby Ventilacion Street area reportedly became alarmed after noticing a strong, pungent odor coming from the vacant lot. The smell led residents to suspect that a decomposing body could be in the grassy area.
According to police, the deceased is estimated to be 20 to 25 years old, approximately 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 4 inches tall, with a dark complexion.
He was reportedly wearing an orange long-sleeved shirt and black underwear when his body was found.
The identity of the deceased remains unknown as of the latest police information.
Authorities are now appealing to families who have a member who has been missing or has failed to return home since Saturday, September 12, to check with the Lagao Police Station and determine whether the physical description matches their missing relative.
Police are particularly urging relatives who may have a young male family member who has not returned home to come forward and coordinate with investigators.
The discovery has raised questions among residents about how long the body had been in the area and whether it was brought there from another location. However, authorities have yet to publicly establish the exact circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
Investigators are expected to determine the cause and manner of death through the appropriate forensic and medico-legal examination, while efforts continue to establish the victim’s identity.
At this point, police have not publicly identified any suspect or established whether the man was killed at the location or his body was transported and abandoned there.
Authorities are urging the public to refrain from speculation while the investigation is ongoing and to provide police with any information that may help identify the deceased and clarify the circumstances of his death.
Anyone whose family member has been missing since Saturday may coordinate with the General Santos City PNP Lagao Police Station for verification and possible identification.