Police in Mangaldan, Pangasinan are investigating the discovery of a suspected human skull found near a fishpond in Barangay Lanas, an incident that alarmed residents in the area.

Authorities said two children discovered the skull while playing near a well on Monday, May 25, 2026.

According to the Mangaldan Police Station, two other residents later told investigators they had already seen the skull as early as Tuesday, May 26, after it reportedly surfaced when water was pumped out from a fishpond nearby.

Police said the skull had been placed inside a sack and set aside before authorities were alerted.

Members of the Mangaldan police and Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) immediately examined the remains after arriving at the scene.

“Yung skull po ay matagal na po kaya so far, dinala muna namin sa punerarya for safekeeping until such time na ongoing pa ‘yung investigation namin,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Perlito Tuayon, chief of the Mangaldan Police Station, said.

Investigators are still trying to determine how the skull ended up in the area and whether there may have been a burial site nearby.

“Nag-investigate kami sa area kung paano napunta yung skull na yun doon at yung paligid, dine-determine namin kung nagkaroon ba ng paglilibing doon sa lugar na ‘yun,” Tuayon said.

Police said the investigation is ongoing to establish the origin of the remains and whether foul play was involved.