The lifeless body of a former beauty queen was found floating in the waters off Barangay 99-Diit, Tacloban, on August 4, sparking shock and grief across the local community. Authorities from the Police Regional Office 8 confirmed that the victim was Akini Arradaza, known for holding the title of Miss Matag-ob. Her tragic death follows a harrowing kidnapping incident that occurred just days earlier.
According to police reports, Arradaza was abducted on July 31 by three armed men whose identities remain unknown. The kidnapping took place in Ormoc City. Security camera footage captured the horrifying moment when she was forcibly pushed into a black vehicle that quickly fled towards Kananga, Leyte. Since then, authorities had been searching intensively for both the victim and the suspects.
The grim discovery of her body came after a fisherman, alerted by another fisherman from Barangay 94-Tigbao, reported seeing a floating corpse near the coastline. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, in coordination with the Tacloban City Fishery Law Enforcement Team, promptly recovered the body from the water.
Preliminary examinations revealed disturbing details: the body was in a bloated state, completely naked, with a protruding tongue and eyes. Her neck, hands, and feet were bound tightly with a hammock rope, and her face was obscured by a black cloth secured with blue duct tape. These signs point to a violent and torturous death.
Identification was made possible through distinctive tattoos and other physical features, later confirmed by family members at the funeral home where the body was brought. An autopsy is currently pending to determine the precise cause and manner of death.
Law enforcement officials are intensifying efforts to locate the black vehicle seen in the CCTV footage and to apprehend the three armed suspects responsible for this brutal crime. The case has sent waves of concern throughout the region about public safety and the rising threats of violent crime.
The community mourns the loss of Akini Arradaza, remembering her not only as a former beauty queen but also as a beloved daughter and a symbol of hope. Authorities urge anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.