By Jennifer P. Rendon
A construction worker drowned in the floodway control area in Barangay Buhang, Jaro, Iloilo City.
Alias Nonoy, 38, also a resident of the Jaro district, reportedly jumped off the bridge in Buhang village around 7:30 a.m. on August 2.
According to Marlon, a resident of Barangay Balabago, he was fishing in the area when he saw a man floating in the river before sinking.
Another witness claimed to have seen the victim on top of the bridge before he jumped.
The witness said the victim swam after hitting the water but was subsequently swept away by the strong current.
Members of the Philippine Coast Guard, Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office-Urban Search and Rescue (CDRRMO-USAR), and several volunteer groups conducted a search and rescue operation.
The victim’s body was retrieved around 5 p.m. the same day. His live-in partner positively identified his body at the West Visayas State University Medical Center.
The victim last went home on July 31. His live-in partner said there was no fight between them, and he even gave her money for their child.
While police investigators could not determine what triggered the victim to jump off the bridge, they ruled out foul play.
