‘Body inside floating drum not that of councilor’

SAN FABIAN, Pangasinan – The family of a former councilor here who mysteriously disappeared about six months ago after armed men abducted him confirmed that the male cadaver cemented inside a drum found floating along the Lingayen Gulf here was not Roland Villegas.

They concluded this after the body exhumed by the National Bureau of Investigation forensic team from Manila who arrived here Friday to conduct examination found false teeth on the cadaver.

Family members of Villegas, barangay captain of Anonang and former president of the Liga ng mga Barangay of this town heaved a big sigh of relief with this finding in the hope that he is still alive but at the same time said their anxiety and agony continue as they are at a loss as to his whereabouts.

Villegas, who lived a checkered life, ran but lost in the 2007 mayoralty race in this town.

Orly Navarro, a radio commentator of Aksyon Radyo Pangasinan and close family friend of Villegas’ brother, fourth district Board Member Liberato Villegas, told The STAR that the cadaver’s false teeth prompted them to conclude it was not Roland’s body that was fished out by fishermen somewhere along the sea in Barangay Nibaliw Narvarte on Sunday here. – Eva Visperas