A 77-year-old woman was found dead inside a septic tank that was being built in a subdivision in the town of Minglanilla in Cebu.

The woman, also a resident of the subdivision, was found morning on August 6, 2026, three days after she went missing.

Her body was found floating face down in what authorities believe was rainwater that had accumulated. Police also noticed that one of the two galvanized iron sheets used to cover the tank was already in the water. 

The woman's children identified her body positively.

One of the children said their mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease and would reportedly leave the house where they used to live. They moved to the subdivision just a month ago.

When their mother went missing, they reported the matter immediatley and went on social media to ask for help.

Another resident of the subdivision, Remy, said they checked the area where the septic tank is located after a neighbor noticed foul smell coming from the spot.

She said she heard a loud thud dawn on August 3 but did not notice anything unusual.

They also thought the sound may have been caused by the many cats playing around in the subdivision.

“Lagubo ra diha… wala nami magpakabana tungod kay abi namo’g iring… daghan biya mi’g iring diri,” she told GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak.

The Minglanilla Police said what happened to the woman may have been just an accident but they will investigate the matter if only to rule out the possibility of foul play.

“We are still not discounting… part of our investigation is tan-awon gihapon nato ang mga CCTV around but, initially, we can say nga dili ni agi’g tinuyuan, dili sad ni agi og gi-plano nga pagpanghitabo, o gi-tripingan,” said Lt. Col. Maria Theresa Macatangay, chief of the Minglanilla Police Station.