Janitor drowns in lagoon

MANILA, Philippines - A janitor was found dead in the Quezon City Memorial Circle’s lagoon Monday after he allegedly tried to find a mobile phone a customer had dropped during a boat ride the previous day, police said yesterday.

Derick Aquino, 29, who worked for a shop at the park was already dead when he was fished out at around 2 p.m. Monday.

Inspector Elmer Monsalve, head of the homicide investigation section of the Quezon City Police District, said Aquino also had bruises on the left side of his chest and the right part of his face when he was fished out of the lagoon at the park.

Ride supervisor Florentino Singian told police Aquino was last seen alive Sunday night, talking to one of the customers who accidentally dropped his cell phone into the lagoon. Singian said the customer was offering a reward to whoever could recover his cell phone, and he dissuaded Aquino from taking up the offer.

Aquino might have stayed behind when the ride closed at 11 p.m. Sunday to look for the cell phone.

Rochel Abapo, part of the ride’s maintenance crew, said she received a text message from Aquino’s wife, saying he did not come home.

She tried looking for Aquino and found a bag containing his clothes beside the lagoon and his body just beneath the surface of the water.