Baguio Jogger Finds Body In Burnham Park

A jogger in Baguio City found a dead body while jogging at Burnham Park on Wednesday, April 26. Reports say the body was found with a stab wound to the chest. Police are investigating the crime and have yet to identify the victim.

Burnham Park is a famous tourist destination in Baguio City. Baguio dwellers can be seen almost every morning to exercise, take short jogs, long walks, or simply enjoy the fresh air early in the morning. The park was known to be unsafe in some areas mostly in the evening because of some cases of theft, drug pushing, and prostitution. However, since it was fenced off and developed, the number of cases dropped.

Body Found at Burnham Park Baguio City

A report by the Inquirer identifies the name of the jogger as Adelino Sacla Villena Jr. The 47-year-old man was jogging at around 5:25 a.m. at the picnic grove of one of Baguio’s tourist spot in Jose Abad Santos Drive when he found the body of a man.

According to the report, the forensic investigators say the victim had a stab wound to the chest. He had a tattoo on his right arm and had a red sling bag. Inside the bag, they found a coin purse, electrical tape, and a sachet filled with “marijuana leaves” according to the police.

Baguio City government released a statement on Wednesday saying the incident is being investigated and added that this was an “isolated case.”

Initial reports reveal that police say there were two security guards who actually patrolled the park at around 3:40 a.m. hours before the body was found. They reportedly saw a group of men in the area, drove them away but did not notice the body.

After the incident, 11 other security guards were deployed and were made available at any given time. A tourist police outpost was also established at the park in case of any emergencies.