Test: Rob suspect killed by own gun

CEBU, Philippines - Chief Insp. Bonifacio Garciano, head of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IDMB), revealed yesterday that robbery suspect Faustino Navarro Jr. was killed by his own 9mm pistol in Barangay Talamban last month.

Garciano said ballistics results showed that Navarro’s 9mm pistol was the only firearm that tested positive of gun powder residue, which means, it was the only one fired at that time. The guns of the responding policemen were also subjected to a ballistics exam, but yielded negative of gun powder residue.

Police found out that the gun Navarro was bringing at that time was owned by SPO1 Boy Omaña of the Cebu City Crime Scene Investigation Unit. The gun was stolen last year.The result of the ballistic exam means the four policemen who responded to the alarm - Talamban Police Station Chief Michael Angelo Beltran, SPO4 Abundo Cabahug, SO2 Valintino Guevarra and PO2 Neil Labizares - are now off the hook.

They submitted their firearms voluntarily to a ballistics exam to dispel speculations they opened fire at Navarro. Beltran told The FREEMAN they are relieved with the recent development.

“At least nahibaw-an gyud nga wala gyud mi nakapabuto,” Beltran said. 

Autopsy had shown that Navarro died of a gunshot wound on the head and not from the grenade blast that severed most of his left arm and leg.— (FREEMAN)