Police in Negros Oriental are retracing the movements of an American national who was reported missing weeks after arriving in the Philippines in June and reportedly visiting Negros Island.
Capt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO), said Monday, Sept.7, that authorities received information regarding the reported disappearance of the foreigner, identified as Nathan Macvittie.
Polinar said the police have coordinated with the NOrPPO Provincial Intelligence Unit, Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) Regional Intelligence Unit, Philippine Coast Guard, and airline companies to establish Macvittie’s movements since his arrival in the country.
“We received confirmation today that the foreigner arrived in Cebu City on June 5 from Manila. However, it was not immediately established how he traveled to Negros Oriental,” Polinar said.
Flyers containing information about Macvittie, provided by his family, included a financial timeline showing transactions made through his automated teller machine (ATM) cards in Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.
However, the transactions have not resulted in any confirmed sightings of Macvittie. The last recorded transaction was made in Tayasan, Negros Oriental, on July 20, as seen in the flyers.
Polinar, who also heads the Provincial Tourist Police Unit, said they would coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration to determine whether Macvittie had indeed entered Negros Oriental.
The American was believed to have visited Dumaguete City, Bacong, Dauin, Zamboanguita, Bayawan City, Sta. Catalina, Jimalalud, and Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental; and Calatrava, Cadiz and Bacolod City in Negros Occidental, based on the card transactions.
Meanwhile, police are cross-checking ballistic evidence recovered from the crime scene in Barangay Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City, where an American national and his Filipina wife were shot dead last week.
The ballistic examination is intended to determine whether the firearms used in the killings could be linked to other crimes and possibly help identify the suspects, Polinar said.
The autopsy on the couple showed that each sustained a single fatal gunshot wound fired from close range. This clarified earlier reports that they sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Police have yet to establish other leads in the case due to the absence of witnesses and available security camera footage.
The bodies of the Duell couple are tentatively scheduled to be buried at a cemetery in Dumaguete City on Wednesday, Polinar said.*PNA