INC leader in Nueva Ecija found dismembered

THE dismembered body of a Deacon of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) in Nueva Ecija who has been missing since early this year has been recovered last April 7, at an irrigation system in Bgy. Luna. Natividad, Pangasinan.

The discovery came two days after the badly tortured bodies of another victim of abduction, businessman Anson Que and his driver, were recovered in Rodriguez, Rizal, on April 9 (see related story).

From the Facebook post of Grace Fatima Lagrana, victim Michael Lagrana, INC deacon from Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, was last seen together with his “helper,” Julius Diaz last January 6.

Subsequently, residents from Bgy. Lagasit, San Quintin, Pangasinan, reported to the authorities of recovering the torso of an unknown person from the waist down, with the upper part missing, last March 21.

Subsequent recovery efforts by the authorities resulted to the recovery of the other half of Lagrana’s body, including his severed head, in Natividad.

Identity confirmation thru DNA is expected to be concluded by the end of April.

The post quoted Lagrana’s wife, Jhen, as saying her husband also showed signs of torture as the skull was cracked and his body chopped into several pieces.

Police authorities in Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan, with the help from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) jointly worked together to solve the gruesome incident.

The post added search is still ongoing to recover his severed hands and foot.

No mention was made on the fate of Diaz.