By CESAR JOLITO III

A 61-year-old man was found dead in a rice field canal at Barangay Payao in Negros Occidental’s Binalbagan town on Thursday morning, January 8.

Binalbagan police revealed that the victim, a resident of Zone 6 in Barangay Payao, was discovered by his son at around 6:00 a.m., lying face down.

The man was last seen alive at about 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7, when he left his home to herd ducks in the same rice field, which was part of his daily routine.

Police said no visible wounds or signs of foul play were observed on the victim’s body.

The family also expressed the belief that the death was not crime-related, noting that the victim had a history of hypertension and may have missed taking his maintenance medication.

The remains were brought to a funeral home in the town, while the Binalbagan police requested a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

Authorities continue to document the incident pending the results of the examination./CJ, WDJ