Taiwanese who went missing in Philippines confirmed dead: Police

Manila, Dec. 18 (CNA) DNA tests released Tuesday confirmed that human remains found in the Philippines earlier this month belonged to a Taiwanese national who had been reported missing since October, according to local police.

A 47-year-old Taiwanese businessman surnamed Hung (洪), a resident of Parañaque, was reported missing on Oct. 10 after he failed to return from a trip to Tagaytay City.

Police found the unidentified dead body with bullet holes in the head in a forest in the Santa Rosa area -- located south of Manila between Parañaque and Tagaytay -- in early December.

Since the deceased person's face was unrecognizable, police used DNA tests to determine his identity, and they came back Tuesday confirming that the deceased was Hung, according to police.

Police said they were still investigating why Hung went missing and the circumstances behind his alleged murder.

A Chinese-language missing person notice circulating in overseas Taiwanese online forums in the Philippines indicated that Hung had been doing business in Manila for nearly three decades.

One of Hung's female employees reported him missing on Oct. 10., according to a Philippines Star report.

The woman told investigators that her employer's wife, who is based in Taiwan, had not been able to contact him by phone since the day he left for Tagaytay to attend Taiwan's National Day reception, the report said.

On Oct. 13, a Taiwanese police attaché and several of Hung's compatriots sought the help of the police Anti-Kidnapping Group to look into Hung's disappearance, the report said.

The Philippines Star later reported on Dec. 9 that police had traced Hung's vehicle to the Santa Rosa northbound toll plaza in Laguna, which would be on the way from Tagaytay back toward Parañaque.

The report said the car had been left there unattended for weeks.

Asked to comment on the case, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday that its representative office in Manila has been working closely with Hung's family and with the Philippines police to investigate Hung's missing and death.

MOFA urged Taiwanese living in or traveling to the Philippines to be on high alert, especially when visiting Makati, the financial center of the Philippines, amid a reported rise in crime targeting foreign nationals.

Taiwanese should avoid traveling alone or wearing expensive jewelry while in the Southeast Asian country, it said.