Vigilantes roaming tourist belt?

Are members of a vigilante group now roaming Manila’s busy tourist belt silencing criminals preying on tourists?

This is the suspicion of the Manila police after the body of an unidentified heavily-tattooed man was discovered in front of Robinson’s Place mall in Ermita, Manila the other night.

Police are still trying to determine the identity of the victim, who bore several tattoos of the Batang City Jail gang.

Investigators said the victim, who was strangled to death, was described to be between 30 and 35 years of age, about five feet tall, of slim built and wearing a gray T-shirt.

Among the tattoos found on the victim’s body were "BCJ No. 32" on the right hip, "International Combat" on the right upper nipple, "BCJ Max Mejos" on the back of the right shoulder, and "seaman" and an anchor tattoo on his right upper arm.

According to a report from the Ermita police station, the heavily tattooed body was discovered by a security guard of Robinson’s Place near the mall’s Padre Faura Street entrance at about 11:30 p.m.

Police said the body bore welt marks in the neck, arms and feet, suggesting that the victim had been tied up and strangled to death. No gunshot or stab wounds were found.

Police said a cardboard sign inscribed with "Turista huwag holdapin, alagaan. Susunod Ativan naman (Do not rob tourists. Ativan (gang) next.)" was found near the victim’s body. The Ativan robbery gang is notorious for luring tourists into drinking cola drinks laced with sedatives and then robbed them when they fell unconscious.

Earlier, Manila Mayor Lito Atienza ordered the Western Police District to increase their visibility in the tourist belt area following a string of robbery incidents with tourists as victims.