All-night drinking ends in fatal fall for seaman celebrating homecoming

MANILA, Philippines—A homecoming celebration for a 44-year-old seaman took a tragic turn before dawn Friday when he mysteriously fell  from the seventh floor of a Manila residential building to his death on the street below, police said.

Jonas Dupanay, a native of Lagawe, Ifugao, had spent the night drinking with his two brothers to celebrate his arrival in the country late Thursday afternoon in a room rented by the seaman’s brother Jay Bruce on the seventh floor of the Lope De Vega Tower at the corner of Lope De Vega and Felix Huertas Streets in Sta. Cruz.

Senior Police Officer 2 Glenzor Vallejo of the Manila Police District’s Homicide Section  said that the Dupanay brothers ended their drinking binge around 5 a.m. Friday and that Jonas fell about 20 to 30 minutes later. He died from a fractured skull and other massive injuries, Vallejo said.

Vallejo said that maintenance man Rodolfo Masa was sweeping the pavement in front of the Lope De Vega Tower when he heard a loud thud behind him. When Masa turned, he found the bloodied Dupanay sprawled on the ground.

The maintenance worker immediately sought the help of security guards who reported the incident to the police.

Investigator Vallejo pointed out that when he asked Dupanay’s brothers about the fall, they could not provide details, claiming that they were asleep and did not know how their brother fell from the seventh floor room.

The body was taken to the Cruz Funeral Parlor in Sta. Cruz for autopsy.

Vallejo said police were continuing an investigation to determine how exactly Jonas Dupanay fell to his death.