Gun charges filed vs. 7 cops linked to Kerwin Espinosa shooting

The Leyte Provincial Police Office said that charges of illegal possession of firearms and violation of the election gun ban were filed against the seven policemen tagged in the shooting of Albuera mayoral candidate Kerwin Espinosa.

Provincial director Police Colonel Dionisio Apas Jr. said that some of the 14 firearms they recovered from the policemen were unregistered, including rifles and pistols.

“Presently, itong pitong persons of interest…sila ay nasa administrative custody considering na may isinampa ng complaint sa kanila. So they will undergo administrative proceedings,” said Apas at a press conference on Tuesday.

(Presently, these persons of interest are under administrative custody considering that there are already complaints filed against them, so they will undergo administrative proceedings.)

While he did not identify the seven cops being linked to the case, the Leyte provincial police chief said the persons of interest include a police colonel, a lieutenant colonel, a staff sergeant, three corporals, and a patrolwoman.

“Persons of interest considering na hindi pa naman sila considered as suspects. So we are still in the process of ascertaining if meron silang particular involvement doon sa particular incident. That is basically the reason why ang initially finile natin ay yung pertaining sa gun ban violation,” he said.

(They are still considered as persons of interest because they cannot be deemed yet as suspects. So we are still in the process of knowing if they have particular involvement in the particular incident.)

Further, the Leyte police said that the seven persons of interest all got negative results in the paraffin test.

“Based doon sa ni-request natin na forensic exam, it appears doon sa pito na persons of interest natin, during the conduct of the paraffin test, lahat po sila ay negatibo. However, as to gunpowder residue, sa lahat ng firearms, ito po ay positive, lahat po ng 14 na firearms,” said Apas.

But Police Lieutenant Colonel Vivien Malibago, head of the forensic unit, said that a negative result was not conclusive.

“I just want to clarify that the paraffin examination is not a conclusive examination. It does not mean that a negative result conclusively hindi nag-fire yung tao ng firearms,” she said in the press conference.

Malibago added that among the factors that could affect the results of the paraffin test are the wearing of gloves, the length of the firearm, the direction of the wind, humidity, and the age of the firearm.

Espinosa was at a campaign event on April 10 when an unidentified man hiding in the ceiling of the stage shot him from behind using an undetermined firearm. He sustained a wound on the right shoulder. Also hurt from the incident were his sibling and a minor.

Espinosa has alleged that the attack was politically motivated. — VBL, GMA Integrated News

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