MANILA - A transgender woman was found dead at a white sand beach in Bolinao, Pangasinan on Tuesday morning.

Jessa Remiendo, 29, was found with her neck hacked and her right eye gouged, according to a post-mortem examination.

Initial police investigation revealed Remiendo told her co-workers at a beach resort that she would go out on Monday night and did not come home.

Bottles of liquor were found a few meters away from the victim's body. Remiendo's cellphone, which contained messages from 2 male friends, was recovered.

Witnesses saw the victim drinking with two male companions, according to Police Maj. Dennis Cabigat, chief of Bolinao Police.

Authorities have launched pursuit and are preparing charges against the 2 men.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) denounced Remiendo's killing, saying the incident is a reminder of the need for a "more inclusive society that respects the rule of law."

• CHR slams trans woman's slay in Pangasinan

Remiendo's slay comes amid lawmakers' deliberation on the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill, which seeks to protect the LGBT community from hate crimes and discrimination.

President Rodrigo Duterte will certify as urgent an anti-discrimination bill, not the SOGIE, his spokesperson Salvador Panelo said last week. --Report from Elaine Fulgencio, ABS-CBN News