Body found in Nueva Ecija creek not Reynaldo de Guzman, says PNP

FILE: The dead body that was recovered in a creek in Nueva Ecija does not belong to 14-year-old Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman, the companion of slain 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday. (Cropped from Missing poster)

The dead body that was recovered in a creek in Nueva Ecija does not belong to 14-year-old Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman, the companion of slain 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.

In a press briefing, PNP Deputy Director Gen.

Fernando Mendez said the DNA test which they have conducted yielded a negative result. The DNA samples did not match when the PNP compared the DNA of the dead body with De Guzman’s parents, Lina and Eduardo de Guzman.

“Hindi siya si Reynaldo de Guzman. Hindi siya (katawan) yung anak ng mag-asawa [It is not Reynaldo. The dead body was not the couple’s son],” Mendez added.

Although de Guzman’s parents had identified the body as their son because of the wart in his left knee and the scar on his neck, the PNP said they are prone to believe the result of the DNA test as it gives “99.

9 percent” accuracy.

According to Mendez, there might be a possibility that the couple may have misidentified the body since it was already bloated and that the features have changed.

Meanwhile, the police has yet to discover the identity of the body they found in the creek. Mendez said they still have to ask around if there are reports that a boy of his age is missing in other places.

The PNP said they will continue to look for de Guzman, who they now considered missing again. Mendez further added that they have no lead yet about the whereabouts of the 14-year-old boy.

De Guzman has been missing for almost three weeks after he was last seen with Arnaiz. The body that bore 30 stab wounds was then found on September 5 at Kinamatayang Kabayo Creek in San Roque village in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija.