Etong likely shot self, expert tapped by Ted Failon claims

(Updated 1:02 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines – In the wake of investigations on the death of the wife of broadcaster Ted Failon, another forensic expert on Tuesday said that it is likely that Trinidad Etong committed suicide. Speaking at a press conference in Quezon City, forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun said that the autopsy she conducted on Etong revealed that her gunshot wound was "self-inflicted" and "intentional." "The issue here is not the cause of death, but the manner of death. If you have close range fire, this is very much consistent with suicide and therefore, self-inflicted and intentional injury. Of course, we have to consider the circumstantial instances, what people say, and the physical evidence. And based on the information available to me so far, it’s consistent with suicide," Fortun said. "My opinion is this: It would really be a self-inflicted injury rather than something else," she added. Fortun was hired by the family of Failon (Mario Teodoro Etong in real life) to conduct an independent autopsy on Etong. "The requesting party is the family and I would be releasing my autopsy report to them," she said, adding that she conducted the autopsy for three hours on Tuesday morning. Etong died last Thursday at the New Era General Hospital in Quezon City. Failon brought his wife to the hospital last Wednesday. The broadcaster earlier claimed that he left his radio program on Wednesday and rushed immediately to their home. Upon arriving home, he saw his bloodied wife on the bathroom floor. On Monday, Dr. Erwin Erfe, a forensic expert also tapped by the Failon family, claimed that Etong committed suicide based on the contusion found in her skull. Erfe, who is also a forensic consultant of the Public Attorney's Office, said the contusion of bruise created by the bullet that pierced through the right temple of Etong was "uniform," indicating that Failon’s wife shot herself. Close range fire, contact fire At Tuesday’s press conference, Fortun said that she examined the wound where the bullet entered and said it is likely that the gun was fired at close range because "soot was found way inside the gunshot wound." Fortun also said that examinations on the wound also indicated it was fired at close contact because "the muzzle is really touching the skin" and "the wound had lacerations." The forensic expert also noted that the bullet entered though Etong’s right temple and exited through her left temple, thus confirming Erfe’s findings that the bullet had a right-to-left trajectory. She added that even if Etong was left-handed, she could have shot herself using her right hand. "Whether you are left or right handed, studies have shown that you could very well shoot yourself on the other side," Fortun told reporters after the press conference. During the news briefing, Fortun said that the bullet’s trajectory would be relevant "in correlation to the rest of the evidence," such as the site where the bullet hit. Last week, police investigators from the the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) established that the scene of the shooting incident was at the bathroom of the Failon residence in Tierra Pura Homes in Tandang Sora, Quezon City. This was after the SOCO team found bullet marks inside the bathroom. Inconclusive? Fortun also said that while the paraffin test the police conducted on Etong might have found her negative for gunpowder burns, it should not automatically rule out the suicide-angle. "It does not consider a shooter from a non-shooter. The test done was not scientific at all," she said. Earlier in the day, Fortun lamented that the Philippines is lagging behind in developments on forensic science and that paraffin tests are "outdated" in forensic investigations. "Huling-huli tayo generally in terms of forensic science development. Makukumpara sa Amerika, I think 1960’s tayo. Forty years behind. It’s that bad, although hindi naman talaga walang-wala tayo," said Fortun in an interview with broadcaster Arnold Clavio on GMA’s Unang Hirit. [We are lagging far behind in terms of forensic science development. Compared to the US, we are forty years behind. It’s that bad, although it doesn’t have to mean that we cannot do anything.] - with Mark Merueñas, Katrina Alba, GMANews.TV