DPS rules Matubis committed suicide

The Department of Public Safety has concluded that the remains found in Marpi last month were indeed those of the missing Filipino surveyor, Alex Manga Matubis, and that he had killed himself.

DPS acting public information officer Jason T. Tarkong said yesterday the police made the findings based on the results of the forensic examination as well as evidence gathered at the scene and interviews.

Tarkong said Guam’s forensic pathologist, Dr. Aurelio Espinola, conducted his examination on the skeletal remains at the Commonwealth Health Center’s morgue Friday night.

Tarkong said Espinola was able to identify several characteristics that positively identified the remains as that of the missing Matubis.

Espinola based the information on Matubis’ dental records and certain bones that matched the age, height, and gender of the surveyor, Tarkong said.

“Dr. Espinola classified the cause of death as asphyxiation due to hanging. Matubis’ death was ruled as a suicide,” Tarkong said.

Matubis’ employer, Candido Castro, had reported him missing since July 30, 2008.

Last Aug. 19, investigators found Matubis’ service pickup abandoned near the Kalabera Cave.

The farm where his remains were found is located about a 10-minute drive west of Kalabera Cave, according to DPS.

Matubis and his co-worker had conducted a survey at the Kalabera Cave area a few weeks before he was reported missing.

Before Espinola’s examination, investigators initially ruled the remains to be “presumptive positive” as the missing Matubis based on the items recovered from the remains—a driver’s license and a wedding ring.

The CNMI driver’s license was issued to Matubis, while the ring was identified by Matubis’ brother, Arnold, as his brother’s wedding ring.

Alex Paga, a surveyor-helper of Matubis since 1990, told Saipan Tribune earlier that he and Matubis conducted a survey project at Kalabera Cave area for more than a week last year.

Paga said the survey was made shortly after Matubis arrived from a vacation in the Philippines in June 2008.

Paga also confirmed earlier reports that Matubis was “strangely silent” when he arrived back on Saipan from his vacation.

He said Matubis used to be jolly after coming from a vacation.

Paga described his friend as very religious and a loving and faithful husband.

A few days before he was reported missing, Matubis reportedly sent money to his wife in the Philippines. The couple have two children. The wife earlier expressed belief that he did not commit suicide because they didn’t have any serious problems.