The dead man’s head was almost severed from hack blows.

The body was recovered at a vacant lot amid bushes around 1 a.m. yesterday.

The victim was hogtied and his face wrapped with packing tape. The dead man was not a resident of Cabatangan as residents could not identify him.

Police suspected the man was killed elsewhere and his body was dumped in Cabatangan.

Some residents told the police that before the recovery of the body, they saw a white vehicle sped away from the place. — Dan Toribio Jr.

Congresswoman Beng Climaco the other day said the government peace panel must submit in writing the status of the talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to the House of Representatives to ensure transparency in the negotiations.

This, as the GRP panel headed by Ambassador Rafael Seguis, failed to attend a hearing called by the House special committee on peace, reconciliation and unity in Congress last February 1 for reasons that Malacanang did not give the clearance for its attendance in the meeting.

“Since Amb. Seguis did not attend, we asked that the panel submit in writing the status of the talks and brief the members of Congress on the issue because we want transparency”, Cong. Climaco reiterated.

The special committee hearing was purposely to discuss Cong. Climaco’s resolution requiring the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the GRP panel to fully disclose specific details concerning the renewed peace talks.

Climaco’s resolution 1546 was in addition to a letter that the lady solon sent to OPAPP Secretary Anabele Abaya also containing the same request. Aside from the updates the solon is also seeking clarifications on the composition of the present government peace panel and the development on a letter that the OPAPP sent to several Mindanao representatives including Climaco designating them as panel of advisers to the peace panel.

Meanwhile, Climaco reiterated that the revelation about the discussion of House Bill 4963 by the House Committee on Local Governments last February 3 is not alarming the people but merely informing the residents about persistent moves to include Zamboanga City in interim agreements.

“The mere fact that the House Bill was taken up last February 3 shows that the proposal is still valid”, the congresswoman said reacting to contradicting opinions. “The point we want to show is that there was an urgency in the bill, what is important is that the city government and the representative in Congress have acted in behalf of the people”.

HB4963 is entitled “An Act Amending RA 6734 titled “An Act Providing for an Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as amended by RA 9054, providing for the creation of the Autonomous Region in Southwestern Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Central Mindanao.”

The House Bill identifies Zamboanga as the seat of the autonomous region in Southwestern Mindanao and calls for the conduct of a plebiscite by barangay.