Fatal shot

Law enforcers have a basic problem in investigating the death of the wife of broadcaster Ted Failon: there is no one complaining of foul play.

Not the daughter, not the victim’s siblings and other relatives, not the househelp and driver, and certainly not the widower.

The cops should just drop their probe, and at least spare themselves from the carping of all the politicians who have jumped on the issue.

But because of the nature of the death, even if no one is complaining of foul play, the cops are required by law to perform their thankless, macabre job of determining whether Trinidad Arteche Etong truly killed herself with a caliber .380 Walther PPK or was fatally shot by someone else.

Related to this, all hospitals are also required by law to alert the police immediately about patients brought in with gunshot or stab wounds or other cases that might be crime-related.

As unpalatable as it surely is for the mourners, the quickest way to end the ordeal of Ted Failon, his children and the other grieving relatives of the victim is for them to cooperate fully with law enforcers so that a final determination of the cause of death can be made ASAP, based on forensic evidence and statements given by all concerned.

That final determination cannot be made based on testimonials about the goodness of the victim and her widower, though this certainly helps influence public opinion. How well do we really know our relatives, friends and neighbors? Too many suicides have been committed and crimes perpetrated by people described by those close to them as incapable of doing such acts.

Police suspicions were raised by what they described as inconsistencies in the statements given by members of the Failon household, the cleaning of the bathroom and vehicle used to bring the victim to the hospital, and the contamination of evidence, including the gun when Failon himself handed it over to the police.

On the part of the cops, it would make their job quicker and easier if they showed more patience and respect for people in mourning. Even at the end of a long day during which they lost precious hours and vital evidence that might have sped up their determination of what really happened to Trinidad Etong, they lose points when they lose their cool and start grabbing screaming people.

The cops must explain to both those who are grieving and the public what they are tasked to do by law in deaths reported as suicides.

Like it or not, the Failons and Arteches must live with the thought that there might be some people – and not just cops – who suspect foul play in this case, and are waiting for their suspicions to be definitively dispelled.

The sooner that final determination is made, the better.

* * *

From the looks of it, unfortunately, that final determination will probably come later than sooner.

The next time the Philippine National Police gets a boost in its annual budget, it should spend the money not on patrol boats or helicopters that are rarely used but on better crime laboratory facilities and more forensic experts.

Because there are so few of them, personnel detailed with crime laboratories must not be allowed to move to other PNP units.

Forensic experts should be able to determine the entry and exit wounds in Mrs. Failon’s head. As a young crime reporter, I went with Manila homicide investigators to inspect bodies in morgues, and they could tell from the appearance of gunshot wounds alone entry and exit points. The exit points were typically larger, with a kind of cross bursting from the hole.

Cops can match such details with the stories given by the househelp and Failon about how they reportedly found the victim after the shooting.

The original version, reported by personnel of the New Era Hospital, was that the bullet entered through the left temple and exited through the right with a downward trajectory, with no spreading powder burn around either wound that could indicate direct contact with the gun. Was the gun fired several inches away?

I’m not sure if this version has changed, but it didn’t match the image of the victim with the gun near her right hand when she was found in the bathroom, as narrated by one of the household helpers. Since the victim was still alive at the time, it is of course possible that she transferred the gun to her right hand, or that she was in a different position or elsewhere in the bathroom when she pulled the trigger and just ended up slumped near the gun.

Being an occasional shooter, I can tell you that the .380 Walther PPK is not an easy gun to handle for women. It’s tough to cock and load and equally tough to pull the trigger. You need a powerful grip to make that gun do exactly what you want. But then people who are about to shoot themselves or others will probably have more adrenaline pumping and can have an unusual burst of strength.

That gun also doesn’t emit too much powder residue that can be picked up in a paraffin test, especially if the hand has been placed under running water for a sufficient period to wash off any residue.

Forensic experts have pointed out that paraffin tests, though sometimes useful, can be unreliable, picking up even soil and nicotine residue.

Though there are limits to technology, scientific criminal investigation has become essential in solving crimes or in determining whether or not someone has committed suicide.

The PNP should invest in improving this capability, which is more reliable than just depending on the stories of nervous or grieving witnesses.

Perhaps the National Bureau of Investigation, which has stepped into the Failon case, has better crime laboratory facilities and can do a better job.

We condole with the victim’s loved ones in this tragedy. Whichever agency ends up as the lead investigator in this case, the sooner it is resolved with finality, the better it will be for all parties concerned.