Warning: This article contains disturbing content.
THE body of Akini Arradaza, a former Miss Matag-ob, was discovered floating in the waters off Barangay 99-Diit, Tacloban City, on August 4, 2025.
Police Regional Office 8 (PRO 8) confirmed the discovery via a Facebook post, detailing the grim circumstances surrounding the recovery. The body, found in an advanced state of decomposition, was naked, with the tongue protruding and eyeballs bulging.
The victim’s hands, feet, and neck were bound with what appeared to be a hammock rope, and her face was covered with a black cloth secured by blue duct tape. Distinctive tattoos on her abdomen and back aided in identification.
According to the Tacloban City Police Office and Ormoc City Police Office, Arradaza was abducted on July 31, 2025, in Barangay Valencia, Ormoc City. CCTV footage shows three unidentified armed individuals forcing her into a black vehicle before fleeing towards Kananga, Leyte.
Arradaza’s family positively identified her remains at a funeral home prior to an autopsy. The body was initially discovered by a fisherman who reported it to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, leading to its recovery by the Tacloban City Fishery Law Enforcement Team.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities actively searching for the black vehicle seen in the CCTV footage. The brutal nature of the crime and the condition in which Arradaza’s body was found has shocked the community and prompted a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her abduction and death. Police are appealing for any information that could assist in the apprehension of the perpetrators.
