Case closed: Ocampo's death a suicide - Senate panel

CEBU CITY - Judge Martin Ocampo, indeed, killed himself.

After an exhaustive and comprehensive re-autopsy on the body of Ocampo, Dr. Raquel del Rosario-Fortun said in her report that Ocampo took his own life inside Room 502 of the Waterfront Hotel in Mactan last Oct. 7.

"Based on available information regarding the circumstances surrounding (Ocampo's) death obtained from the investigation and the autopsy procedures, the injuries sustained are deemed to be self-inflicted and intentional, therefore the manner of death is classified as suicide," Fortun said in the report announced Friday by the Senate committee on justice and human rights.

Sen. Renato Cayetano, who chairs the committee, consequently ordered the Senate inquiry into Ocampo's death closed and terminated.

The Senate panel embarked on the re-autopsy to erase doubts that there was foul play in the death of Ocampo, who hogged the headlines last year for his verdict on the Chiong sisters' rape-slay case.

Cayetano, however, said the inquiry may be reopened if some physical evidence which would tend to disprove the findings of suicide is uncovered later.

Ocampo's son, Marceliano III, accepted the report and thanked and commended the Senate committee and Fortun for their work and perseverance.

Fortun's finding bolstered the earlier conclusion of suicide by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

But the Integrated Bar of the Philippines' Cebu City chapter appears unsatisfied by the Fortun report and will proceed with its own fact-finding.

In her report, Fortun said all the possible elements of a suicide were present in Ocampo's case, and that his suicide note can be considered a "bonus." She said a suicide note is present in only 20 to 25 percent of suicide cases.

NBI Central Visayas director Ramon Jose Duyongco described Fortun's report as a vindication of their investigation.

"I hope the doubting Thomases, such as IBP chapter president Pedro Rosito and director Gloria Lastimosa-Dalawampu, should stop making speculations ," he said.