ILOILO CITY — A 35-year-old man died after being constricted by a large snake near a dike in Barangay Bolilao, Mandurriao, local authorities said.
The victim, identified as Julius Perez of Hibao-an Sur, was discovered motionless outside a residence with the snake coiled around his neck, according to video footage from the scene. Residents decapitated the snake in an attempt to free Perez, but he could no longer be revived.
Police said the snake measured roughly three meters and weighed around 12 kilograms.
Investigators believe Perez may have stepped on the reptile, prompting the attack. He sustained bite marks on the knees and arms, and police said the cause of death was strangulation.
“Constriction impedes blood circulation and the flow of oxygen in the body,” said Capt. Val Camblel, officer-in-charge of Iloilo City Police Station 10.
Perez had reportedly gone to the area to attend a wake. Residents told police that snakes are sometimes seen in the nearby creek, though none as large as the one involved in the incident.
Barangay officials maintained that the area is regularly cleaned.