Former beauty queen found dead with hands and feet tied in Tacloban sea
Warning: This article contains disturbing content.
A former beauty queen was abducted and killed, with her body found naked and floating in a sea in Tacloban.
In a Facebook post, Police Regional Office 8 said the body was recovered from the seawaters of Barangay 99-Diit in Tacloban, on Aug. 4.
According to the Tacloban City Police Office and Ormoc City Police Office, the victim was taken by three unidentified armed individuals on July 31 in Barangay Valencia in Ormoc. In CCTV footage, she was seen being forced into a black vehicle before fleeing in the direction of Kananga in Leyte.
Investigators were able to establish a positive identity based on her distinct tattoos and physical features.
The victim's relatives also confirmed the body at the funeral home, where she was temporarily kept before autopsy.
In a previous post, PRO 8 said the body was discovered by a fisherman who had learned about it from a fellow fisherman while he was at his residence in Brgy. 94-Tigbao.
The fisherman went to the area and found the body floating in the water.
He informed the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, which then coordinated with the Tacloban City Fishery Law Enforcement Team to bring the body ashore in Brgy. 99-Diit.
Initial examination said the body was found in a bloated state, unclothed, with the tongue protruding and the eyeballs bulging. The cadaver was bound at the neck, hands, and feet using what appeared to be a single hammock rope. A black cloth covered the face, which was further wrapped with blue duct tape.
Notable identifying features include tattoos located on the right side of the abdominal area and both the upper and lower back near the buttocks.
News5's Frontline Pilipinas reported that the victim was identified as Akini Arradaza, a former Miss Matag-ob.
"Nasa bloated state na po ito, hubad. 'Yung dila nito is nakalabas na," said Shenna Layog, Tacloban City Police Office Station 2 acting station commander. "Nakita na rin po na nakatali iyong kanyang leeg saka kamay at iyong paa. Iyong mukha po nito ay tinakpan ng itim na tela, binalutan pa ng duct tape."
Authorities are still attempting to locate the vehicle, and the investigation is ongoing.
