Nonresident worker found dead in CK

A 39-year-old sales and marketing manager was found dead in his room in Chalan Kanoa Thursday afternoon.

Elmer V. Solis, an employee of Quality Distributors, is a past president and an active member of Filipino organization Bicol Association of the NMI.

His friends in the group said they were shocked and deeply distressed by the news.

“It’s a complete shock to everybody. He is our buddy! I said, ‘No way that can’t be true,” said Teddy De Luna, Bicol Association board chair.

Public Works engineer Jun Dela Cruz, another close friend of Solis in the association, said it was painful news.

“It’s very sad, very sad. He left us, and he left us without a word,” said Dela Cruz.

The association officials and members held an urgent meeting Thursday night to discuss the matter and to express their willingness to assist Solis’ family.

Solis was living alone on Saipan for about a decade now.

He has two school-age children who were reportedly born on Saipan but were sent to the Philippines to live with his sister’s family in Muntinlupa, Manila.

Solis was already an orphan.

“The association is ready to extend assistance in any way we can,” said association president Danny Romanillo.

Lito Marquez, another association official, said the Philippine Consulate has known of the incident and has expressed willingness to offer help.

“We are also getting in touch with the employer,” he said.

No police report has been issued yet, but based on unofficial sources, Solis may have killed himself.

His friends said he last reported for work on Tuesday. He was absent on Wednesday and nobody saw him that day.

On Thursday afternoon, the caretaker of the house where he lived had to check his room because of a foul smell emanating from it. When the door was forcibly opened, it hit Solis’ hanging body, people’s account said.

“There was no hint that such tragedy would happen,” said De Luna.

Friends said during the Thursday meeting that Solis had been distant lately and would not open up about his problems. He, however, hinted to others that he had huge debts.

Solis also reportedly told a friend that one of his kids fell from a swing last month and is allegedly comatose in a Manila hospital.

“All we want to remember of him is his kindness to everybody. He is fun loving. He jokes around. He cooks for his friends and he loves to sing,” said Tess Dioneda.

Other friends describe Solis as “generous,” “very kind,” and “always ready to help.”

Bicol Association said a nightly rosary will be held at Solis’ rented place in Chalan Kanoa beginning Friday.