Cop faces probe on BF's "suicide"

CEBU, Philippines - A policewoman undergoing Field Training Program (FTP) is under investigation after her service firearm was allegedly used in her live-in partner’s suicide yesterday morning in Barangay Mambaling.

Police Officer 1 Jubilee Inquig Catan, 25, assigned at the Talisay City Police Station will be subjected to the normal process of crime investigation to erase doubts of possible foul play in the alleged suicide of Elgin Tio.

Tio, 25, allegedly shot himself using Catan’s service firearm because of jealousy. He was first brought to the Chong Hua Hospital where he later died.

Cebu City Police Office intelligence chief Romeo Santander said that Catan told him that she tried to grapple for her service firearm from Tio to prevent the latter from shooting himself. But the gun went off before she was able to grab it.

Initial investigation conducted by the homicide investigators show that Catan and Tio had a heated argument the night before the alleged suicide. Tio got jealous as he suspects Catan had another boyfriend while in the training school for her Police Basic Recruit Course. 

The two, who are both natives of Negros Oriental, live together in a room that the policewoman is renting in Sitio Roma Cross, Mambaling.

Catan told the homicide investigators that she spend the night at her classmate’s place in Lahug to avoid further argument with Tio. She went back to their boarding house at 7:00 a.m. yesterday hoping that everything already subsided.

However, Catan said she was surprised when Tio opened the door for her because he was already pointing her 9-millimeter service firearm at his right temple. Catan said she shouted to stop Tio but the gun already went off.

Catan immediately sought the assistance of the nearby Mambaling Police Station leaving the victim behind. One Ruben Ong, 37, a resident of Tabada St., took advantage of the situation by stealing the firearm used in the alleged suicide.

Santander said both the victim and Catan will be subjected to a paraffin test. He said the result of the test will determine if Catan was the one who fired the gun or not.

He added that the investigation was conducted to avoid partiality and to clear possible doubts from the family of the victim. – THE FREEMAN