Batangas hiker robbed, slain?

MANILA, Philippines - A mountaineer who went missing on Mt. Maculot in Batangas last year could have been killed and robbed, evidence so far gathered by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) showed.

In a statement on Tuesday, the NBI said pieces of evidence, which include testimonies of witnesses and the autopsy report, led agents to believe that Victor Joel Ayson, who was reported missing on March 31, 2013, was intentionally killed.

Based on the autopsy report, the mountaineer had a hematoma in the head that was as big as a tennis ball.

Agents believe that Ayson was hit in the head before he was pushed off a cliff.

It was also possible that he was defecating when attacked, which explains why he was without clothes when his body was found, the NBI said.

Probers, according to the NBI, found a large piece of rock covered with blue plastic bag and Ayson’s black underwear about 1.3 meters from where the mountaineer’s body was found.

His red backpack, which contained a D-SLR camera, wallet, and other personal belongings, was recovered. But his money and cellular phone were reported missing.

A review of his camera’s SD card showed that Ayson’s last “selfie” photo was taken at 6:35 a.m. or hours before his death.