Escorts of rape suspect who committed suicide inside Crame under probe

The two police escorts of Hilario "Larry" Herrera, a rape-slay suspect who killed himself inside Camp Crame on Tuesday night, have undergone paraffin test as part of the investigation on the incident, a police official said Wednesday.

At a press briefing, Anti-Kidnapping Group chief Senior Superintendent Glenn Dumlao said the two policemen, identified only as Senior Police Officer 1 Chaluyen and Police Officer 3 Parafina, have also surrendered their firearms.

"Pina-paraffin test namin. Sinurrender firearm and motu propio naman 'yang IAS (Internal Affairs Service) will come in," Dumlao said. "We always assume naman 'yung regularity. If may negligence on their part, let IAS come in."

Herrera was suspect in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jaen, Nueva Ecija, last July 19. The victim's family has already been informed of his death.

Reports said Herrera was being escorted back to his detention cell after attending inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice in Manila when he allegedly grabbed Parafina's service gun and shot himself on the right side of his head.

"SOP (standard operating procedure), tinakbo namin sa PNPGH (PNP General Hospital) and doon siya pronounced dead," Dumlao said. "I think from PNPGH dinala na sa punerarya."

Dumlao said Herrera, who might have been mentally "imbalanced" from remorse and lack of sleep, could have overpowered Chaluyen and Parafina, who have been escorting the suspect for most of the day.

"Remember, walang tulog 'yan (Herrera) since Saturday, Sunday, and naka-detain. Yung period ng detention mo, naku talagang imbalanced ka. Hindi ka nakatulog. 'Ano ba itong nagawa ko?' Kasi hindi na siya nagsasalita," he said.

Herrera may have also feared returning to prison as he served time at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm from October 2006 until he was released on parole on March 27, 2014.

"May ka live-in, may GF (girlfriend) siya sa Palawan. Accordingly, sa intel namin, sa background namin, nagkaroon din siya ng rape incident doon. Naayos lang niya and them lumipat siya sa Nueva Ecija," Dumlao said.

Herrera was initially adopted in Nueva Ecija by a family who needed a carpenter but was kicked out when he was seen molesting the child of his stepfather.

CCTV cameras inside Camp Crame were only able to capture Herrera and his escort's entry and not his alleged suicide. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News