Man dies of drowning in paddy canal

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A man died after he reportedly drowned in a rice paddy canal in New Lucena, Iloilo evening of July 31.

The body of Feliciano Socio Jr., 42, of Barangay Bitaog- Gaja, New Lucena, was found around 8:30 in a rice land in their village.

Captain Rogie Panela, New Lucena police chief, said the body was submerged in a 4-foot deep paddy canal.

Members of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) tried to rescue the victim but he was declared dead at 8:45 p.m.

Prior to the incident, Socio allegedly went on a drinking spree at his friend’s house, which is around a kilometer from where he lived.

He went home past 7 p.m.

Panela believed that he was walking through the rice paddy when he slipped and drowned in the swampy portion of the rice field.

Meanwhile, Panela said the family might forego the autopsy since they are convinced that there was no foul play in Socio’s death.