By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bacolod City has finally identified the owner of the dismembered body parts recovered last Friday, March 1.

NBI-Bacolod head Atty. Renoir Baldovino refused to name the victim in the mutilation.

Baldovino confirmed that the owner was a resident of Bacolod and he was a drug suspect.

He said they were able to establish the victim’s identity through fingerprints.

“It looks like he is involved in illegal drugs, based on the reports that were given to us,” Baldovino said.

Baldovino said he is currently in Metro Manila for their technical division’s verification of the body parts.

The mutilated body parts — a left hand, a left leg and a pair of ears — were recovered in front of the NBI-Bacolod office along Aguinaldo Street in Bacolod’s Barangay 4 on Friday.

The body parts included a note with a message, “William de Arca NBI Protector ni Hanz Lopez Drug Lord.”

Meanwhile, Baldovino also questioned why closed-circuit television cameras were turned off when the body parts were dumped in front of their office, stating that it was a mere coincidence.

He said the assailants attempted to scare and discredit them, as the local NBI office is very active in their campaign against illegal gambling operators in Negros Occidental.

He further added that they have strengthened their security in the premises in response to the incident.

Baldovino also belied reports that there was a feud between two of his law enforcement agents.

Several mutilated body parts were recovered in Bacolod in previous years, most of which have attached notes alleging the victims’ involvement in illegal drugs.

Some of these incidents took place last year, including the recovered mutilated hands in Barangay 2 on January 25, 2023, a pair of feet in Barangay Villamonte on March 29, and the severed right hand found in Barangay Bata on April 17.

All of which were from still unidentified individuals./DGB, WDJ