By GLENDEL NAZARIO
Police are investigating the death of the 57-year-old Landbank official who allegedly fell from the 31st down to the 9th floor of a residential building in Malate, Manila Friday morning.
The lifeless body identified by police as Atty. Marcial Bitancor, 57, Head of Landbank Agrarian Operation Center at Region 5 in Legazpi City was found at the pool area located at the 9th floor.
Bitancor, who was clad in white shirt and brown pants suffered from severe head injuries, with his upper and lower extremities dislocated, police said.
Initial investigation revealed that the victim was billeted with four others at unit 31H at the 31st floor of the building on Thursday at 9:40 p.m.
The following day at 7:45 a.m., the four left and went to the conference room at the 26th floor leaving the victim at the unit. At 8:29 a.m., one of Bitancor’s workmates Fabian Jacob went back to their room to ask for lodging payment from Marcial but the latter was not there, police said.
Jacob thought the victim was only sleeping at the other bedroom which was locked from the inside. This was until he went back to the conference room and learned of the news of a man who fell to the 9th floor.
He immediately sought assistance from the housekeeper to open the locked bedroom and found out that it was Bitancor who had died.