A 10-year old boy was reportedly devoured by a crocodile in Balabac town of Palawan what police said to be the latest of the crocodile attacks in the southernmost part of the province.
Brig. Gen. Tomas Apolinario, director of the MIMAROPA (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) regional police, said the attack occurred while victim Milhasan Suraping was on his way home on board a small boat together with his two siblings on Sunday night in a river in Balabac.
“The victim went to a store with his two siblings using a small boat. On their way back home, the victim was snapped and later dragged by a crocodile,” said Apolinario.
The victim’s two companions were unhurt.
The family has to use a small boat to buy food items in the local store which is located on the other side of the river in Barangay Salang.
Apolinario said the father of the victim and his neighbors immediately searched the stretch of the river to locate the victim but to no avail.
Lt. Col. Socrates Faltado, spokesman of the MIMAROPA regional police, said that the head and the right leg of Suraping were found on Wednesday morning at a mangrove area in Sitio Tagpanasan in Barangay Salang.
“The victim’s father, Robinsio Suraping recovered the remains and after cleaning the body parts it was then buried,” said Faltado.
Several people have been eaten or escaped attacks by crocodiles over the years in the towns located in the southernmost part of Palawan which is home for saltwater crocodile.
Recently, a girl was snatched and eaten by crocodile while playing near a river in the area. Also just recently, a father had to bite a crocodile to free his son who was already being dragged by a crocodile.
Experts said the attacks could also be attributed to human encroachment on the natural habitat of the crocodile. (Aaron Recuenco)
