Authorities have recovered the bodies of the three men who got buried in a landslide at the area they were allegedly hunting for treasures in Barangay Ibo, Malalag, Davao del Sur.

According to a report by GMA Super Radyo Davao, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said the last victim was retrieved on Saturday, November 15, 2025, following the recovery of the first two bodies a few days after the incident on November 10.

Malalag Acting Municipal Administrator, Lyssa Mae Cabaobao, said the retrieval operations were halted intermittently due to bad weather conditions and the unstable soil condition.

Cabaobao added that authorities continued their efforts and the victims’ families also helped in the retrieval operation.

It can be recalled that the victims and their co-workers were doing excavation work at around 8 a.m. for an alleged treasure hunt, reportedly being supervised by the contractor and landowner. However, the soil within the excavation site eroded later in the afternoon, burying the three victims inside the pit.

Based on inspection of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Davao (MGB-11), the area was found to be “generally risky” as constant soil saturation made it highly prone to landslides.

The operation was also found to have no excavation and construction permits and clearance from the local government.

Barangay officials have been directed to monitor their communities strictly and report similar illegal operations.

(With reports from GMA Super Radyo Davao)