Police Master Sergeant Ramon Chinel, desk officer of the Consolacion Police Station, who described the unidentified dead man as an alleged salvage victim, had remained unidentified as of this posting.

Chinel said that it was around 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 28, when the information about the alleged salvage victim was forwarded to them by the Canduman Police Station in Mandaue City.

Chinel said that Canduman policemen first responded to the area when they initially received information that a dead person was found in Barangay Casili in Mandaue City.

Barangay Casili of Mandaue City and Barangay Sacsac of Consolacion town are neighboring barangays bordering Mandaue City and Consolacion town.

For now, Chinel said that they were coordinating with the neighboring police stations to check if there were reported missing persons there.

The dead man has remained unidentified and is currently placed in a funeral parlor in the town.

“Naay mga tattoo siya but so far wa koy mahatag kaayo kay mostly ingun ana nga information naa na sa imbestigador,”  Chinel said.

(The dead man has tattoos, but I could not give you details because that information is with the investigator of the case.)

Police Staff Sergeant Ken Villaruel, desk office of Canduman Police Station, said that the victim’s face when found at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday May 28, was covered with a duct tape.

He also had a gunshot wound on his head.

Aside from that, both his hands were also tied.

Villaruel said that he could not also tell if the victim had other wounds other than the gunshot that they visibly saw from his head.

Villaruel added that they also recovered two empty shells of an unknown firearm in the crime scene.

He also said that they believed that the victim was killed in Barangay Casili  and left there in Barangay Sacsac.

“Naka T-shirt syag (fraternity) but na respondehan 4:30 a.m.  pag agi sa mga tawo,” Villaruel said.

(He was wearing a T-shirt with (a name of a fraternity printed on it), but we only responded when passersby saw the body at 4:30 a.m, and reported this to the police.)

Villaruel further said that the dead victim’s body was found beside a road in Barangay Sacsac visible to passersby. So individuals who passed by the area made the call and reported this incident to them.

MANILA – Two meteorological agencies have downgraded the category of typhoon ''Ruby'' (international name: Hagupit).

The Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the US Navy, has downgraded Ruby from the maximum ''super typhoon'' category to ''typhoon'' status.

The Japan Meteorological Agency also downgraded the typhoon from the maximum ''violent'' to ''very strong''.

The JTWC, in its advisory issued 11 a.m. Friday (Manila time), said Ruby was packing one-minute average maximum sustained winds of 231 kilometers per hour (125 knots) and gusts of 277 kph (150 knots) as of 8 a.m. Friday.

The JTWC had earlier upgraded Ruby to super-typhoon status after its wind strength reached around 300 kph, matching those brought by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

The weather bureau forecasts the typhoon to grow weaker as it approaches the Philippines. The expected weakening of the weather disturbance is attributed to its interaction with land.

Based on its forecast track for the typhoon, the JTWC said Ruby's wind strength could decrease to 120 kph (65 knots) by the time it reaches the vicinity of Metro Manila.

''Hagupit will maintain a generally west to west- northwestward trajectory under the steering influence of the subtropical ridge,''the JTWC said.

The sub-tropical ridge is a large belt of high pressure system in the northern hemisphere that is referred to as an anti-cyclone system. This system has prevented the upward movement of the typhoon, forcing the weather disturbance to hit the Philippines.

''Bulk of the dynamic models have come into closer agreement on a generally westward track over the Philippines. While there is still some disagreement in the exact placement of the system, ranging between the Cagayan Valley to just north of Panay, there is better confidence in the JTWC forecast track," the JTWC said.

Abs-cbn

MANILA -- Typhoon "Ruby" (International name "Hagupit") maintained its strength as it barreled towards the Philippines, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 11 a.m. update on Friday, PAGASA said Ruby has also maintained its speed and direction, moving west northwest at 13 kilometers per hour (kph) towards Eastern Visayas.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall in Eastern Samar-Northern Samar area by Saturday evening, PAGASA said.

Ruby was located at 435 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar as of 10 a.m. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kph near the center and gusts of up to 250 kph.

It is forecast to be 120 kms east Northeast of Borongan, Eastern Samar on Saturday morning; 50 kms west of Catarman, Northern Samar or 60 kms east of Masbate City, Masbate on Sunday morning; and in the vicinity of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on Monday morning.

PAGASA forecaster Chris Perez said there may be changes in the speed of the typhoon due to several atmospheric factors. He noted that a faster movement will result in fewer rains being dumped in the typhoon's path.

Perez, nonetheless, warned that the danger being posed by the typhoon remains the same, regardless of its speed.

As expected, the typhoon's intensity is expected to decrease upon hitting land.

The Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said there is still uncertainty over the exact course that the typhoon will take after making landfall in the Philippines.

''Bulk of the dynamic models have come into closer agreement on a generally westward track over the Philippines. While there is still some disagreement in the exact placement of the system, ranging between the Cagayan Valley to just north of Panay, there is better confidence in the JTWC forecast track," the JTWC said.

In its advisory issued at 11 a.m. Friday (Manila time), the typhoon is forecast to be within the vicinity of Metro Manila on December 9, Wednesday, at 8 a.m.

STORM SIGNALS

Public storm warning signals remain hoisted raised over 34 areas.
Public storm warning signal number 2 (winds of 61-100 kph expected in at least 24 hours) has been raised over the following areas, which PAGASA said will experience occasional rains and gusty winds:

Luzon

• Sorsogon
• Ticao Island
• Masbate

Visayas

• Northern Samar
• Eastern Samar
• Samar
• Biliran
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Northern Cebu including Cebu City
• Bantayan Island
• Camotes Island

Public storm warning signal number 1 (winds of 30-60 kph expected in at least 36 hours) has been raised over the following areas, where PAGASA said that residents in low-lying and mountainous areas should be alerted against possible flash floods and landslides:

Luzon

• Catanduanes
• Albay
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Burias Island
• Romblon

Visayas

• Capiz
• Iloilo
• Antique
• Aklan
• Negros Oriental
• Negros Occidental
• Rest of Cebu
• Siquijor
• Bohol

Mindanao

• Surigao del Sur
• Agusan del Norte
• Surigao del Norte
• Dinagat Island
• Siargao Island
• Misamis Oriental
• Agusan del Sur
• Camiguin Island

STORM SURGE

PAGASA warned areas in the typhoon's path of storm surges. It said storm surges as high as 4 meters, accompanied by strong winds and heavy to intense rainfall, shall be expected upon the typhoon's landfall in the vicinity of Eastern Samar-Northern Samar area.

Estimated rainfall amount is from 7.5-20 millimeters per hour, classified as "heavy to intense," within the 700-km diameter of typhoon Ruby.

PAGASA cautioned fishermen and those using small sea vessels against venturing out into the sea, as there will be rough to very rough sea conditions in the seaboard of Northern Luzon, the eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon, the seaboards of Visayas and over the northern and eastern seaboards of Mindanao. 

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard-Cebu expects almost a hundred vessels to join the fluvial procession today in seawaters off the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

The PCG registered at least 85 vessels but the number may increase as they are expecting other smaller vessels to join today despite not registering with their office.

PCG-Cebu District Commander Rodulfo Villajuan said they have designated areas where small and large vessels should stand by.

"Hindi maiiwasan na may mga sasali kaya hindi na naming ma-hold 'yan but we have to make sure na andu'n sila sa hulihan," Villajuan said.

He added that he designated a task group to take charge of the line formation between the vessels to avoid possible incidents.

"Ninety eight percent ready na kami ngayon kasi hirap namang sabihing 100 percent, hindi naman kami perpekto," Villajuan said.

Furthermore, the head of PCG Central Visayas, Commodore William Melad, said they will base the decision to continue or cancel the fluvial procession on the weather advisory by PAGASA.

As of 6:30 p.m. last night, Melad said they have not yet decided on the matter while preparations continued for the fluvial procession from Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City to Pier 1 in Cebu City.

PAGASA Mactan officer-in-charge Al Quiblat said tropical depression Agaton, the first weather system for the year, will bring rains up to the Fiesta Señor on Sunday if it does not dissipate.

The state weather bureau yesterday placed Southern Leyte under public storm signal number 1, the lone Visayas area, together with Mindanao areas of Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Siargao Island, Dinagat Province, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley.

Quiblat added that the public must be alert for possible landslides and floods.

Waves measuring 3.4 meters to 4.5 meters high are probable in the Visayan seaboard, sea crafts that plan to sail have been cautioned.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said everyone must contribute to fervent prayers in order to have good weather condition for the fluvial and solemn procession.

"We just continuously pray and prepare because that's the only thing we can do. But knowing Sto. Niño, there might be miracles. The adjustments would be to bring umbrellas…don't bring too many cars to lessen traffic congestion," Rama said.p (FREEMAN)