CHR says puncture in heart, lungs caused Kulot’s death; NBI conducts autopsy too

Initial findings of an autopsy by the Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday night revealed punctures in the heart and lungs may have caused the death of Reynaldo "Kulot" de Guzman.

"Titingnan po lang namin 'yung pictures po. Susubukan po namin i-piece together kung how many ang tama po niya. Pero may nakita po kaming puncture wound sa heart, some sa lungs, so 'yun po ang cause of death sa ngayon," said Doctor Joseph Jimenez, medico-legal officer of CHR, according to a report on Unang Balita on Thursday by Vonne Aquino.

Meanwhile, an autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) the same night has yet to determine the cause of death of the 14-year-old, the report said. The NBI findings will be out in two or three weeks.

Both CHR and NBI have yet to discover the number of stab wounds of De Guzman and up to the present time bring to light other injuries the teen suffered.

"The body was already embalmed so understandably the stab wounds were already modified by suturing and embalming and again the stab wounds were closer to each other," said Doctor Carlomagno Yalung, NBI's medico-legal officer.

"Marami pong stab wounds at the upper part of the chest. 'Yung bilang po is uncertain sa akin dahil naembalsamo na po and the wounds have been sutured and the impression is parang madami nang nag-overlap sa tahi, " Jimenez said.

De Guzman was said to be the last person seen with 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz on August 18. 

Arnaiz was killed by Caloocan police after he allegedly shot at them when the cops accosted him for reportedly robbing a taxi driver. 

Arnaiz's body was found in a morgue in Caloocan 10 days later and De Guzman's body turned up in a funeral home in Gapan, Nueve Ecija nine days after Arnaiz's body was found.

Aside from the autopsy on the victim's body, NBI agents also conducted ocular inspection on the area where De Guzman's body was found.

Authorities were able to talk to a certain resident who heard that something was dumped into the creek on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, De Guzman's family was facing difficulty transporting the boy's remains to Cainta, Rizal, the report said. The father of De Guzman said they need to find a funeral parlor. 

"Ang problema 'yung pagbabagsakan, 'yung pagbuburulan, 'yun ang unang ano [problema]. Nasagot na 'yung ataul. 'Yung serbisyo at burol bahala na ho kami kung saan kami makakalapit, "said Eduardo Gabriel, De Guzman's father.

"Parang galit na galit ang pumatay sa anak ko. Halos kulang na lang tadtarin. Bakit ganun?" Lina Gabriel, mother of De Guzman, said.

The de Guzman family is open to receive help.

De Guzman's body was found on Wednesday floating in Kinamatayang Kabayo creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija. —Akari Nakano and Anna Felicia Bajo/KG/KBK, GMA News