Philippines: Police release facial sketch as manhunt intensifies in ‘body-in-box’ case

Police have launched a manhunt for a male suspect and released a facial composite sketch following the grim discovery of a woman’s body stuffed inside a plastic storage box dumped in a river in Camarines Norte.

The cross-regional investigation began after the unidentified victim was found on 2 January in Barangay Pinagwarasan, Basud. Authorities, citing an ABS-CBN News report, believe the suspect transported the body as cargo on a provincial bus from Laguna to Bicol under the guise of transporting groceries and tools.

According to investigators from the Basud Municipal Police Station (MPS), the suspect was captured on CCTV at the Turbina Terminal in Calamba City, Laguna, at approximately 834pm on New Year’s Day. Footage shows the man arriving via tricycle and receiving assistance from two others to unload the large container.

The bus conductor told police that the suspect remained calm and specifically requested space on the bus’s footboard (estribo) for the heavy cargo, claiming it contained "groceries and tools."

“We have spoken to many witnesses who have a direct connection to the suspect—those who saw him and were with him,” said the Police Captain Mark Armea, chief of the Basud Municipal Police Station.

Upon arriving in Daet, the suspect reportedly hired a tricycle to transport the box in Basud. The tricycle driver later approached authorities after seeing reports of the incident on social media, admitting he had been hired to move the container but was unaware of its contents.

Investigators have since confirmed that the plastic container found in the Basud River is the same one seen being loaded onto the bus in Laguna.

In a bid to expedite the arrest, the Basud Municipal Police Station has released a facial composite sketch of the man believed to be responsible for dumping the victim’s remains at the Basud bridge.

The suspect is described as a male, aged 30 to 40 years old, with a medium build and standing between 5’4” and 5’6” tall. Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding his identity or whereabouts to contact the Basud MPS at 0998-967-3537 or 0998-598-5952. Officials assured the public that all information provided will be kept strictly confidential.

The victim is described as being between 5’3” and 5’4” tall, aged 35 to 40, with distinct tattoos on her left chest and right shoulder. While her name remains unknown, police are certain both the victim and the suspect originated from Region IV-A (Calabarzon).

The Basud Municipal Police Station and the Provincial Investigation and Detection Management Unit are coordinating closely with police in Calabarzon to track the suspect’s whereabouts and fast-track the investigation.