A 32-year-old homeless man was found dead in the backyard of a church in Malasiqui, Pangasinan.

Residents were shocked by the discovery, as the man had long been seen around town with a blind companion.

The victim, a native of Urbiztondo, Pangasinan, was discovered lifeless inside a plant box area behind the church.

A church staff member called the police after spotting the body.

Rescue teams rushed the man to a hospital nearby but doctors declared him dead on arrival.

According to police, the man had epilepsy and was known to drink heavily and eat rarely. Family members said they had noticed his health declining in recent weeks.

“Nung masaksihan ko po yung pangyayari, tinawag sa akin ng kasama ko. Ang sabi niya kasi, hinahanap ng kapulisan at mga enforcer ‘yung may namatay daw na taong-grasa na may kasamang bulag. Tinuro namin sa likod ng simbahan daw. Doon po nangyari. Nung inabutan namin, nakahandusay na po ‘yun, patay,” Ernesto Veraynato, a barangay tanod of Poblacion, Malasiqui, said.