Netizens pay tribute to Filipina found dead in river

TENOM: Tributes have been pouring in on social media for a Malaysia-based Filipino woman found dead in the Pagalan river in Melalap, Sabah.

Facebook users and friends have been posting their condolences and calling for “justice to be served” in connection with the death.

The woman was identified on social media through her tattoos.

Based on checks by The Star, the woman was linked to three Face­book accounts under the names “Candize Bernardo Asuncion”, “Ma­­del­yn Bernardo Asuncion” and “Quel Asuncion”.

However, there were scant details on what she was doing in Malaysia.

When contacted, Tenom police chief Asst Supt Ahmad Razali Shaari said the police had contacted individuals who were believed to be family members of the deceased.

“It could be her,” he replied when asked to confirm the woman’s identity.

“We were only just able to reach her family to identify her.

“Until then, the police cannot confirm her identity,” he said yesterday.

He said the post-mortem and identification by family members would be conducted today.

ASP Ahmad Razali also advised the public not to speculate on the case and asked for space to allow the police to carry out the investigation.

He added that while the case had been classified as “sudden death”, it would be reclassified if the post-mortem results indicated foul play.

The woman’s naked decomposing body was found floating in the river on Wednesday morning.

One of her legs was entangled with a water pump structure belonging to a plantation company.

A team from the Tenom police headquarters rushed to the scene after being alerted by a plantation worker of the gruesome discovery at about 7am.