Family nixes autopsy of Dueñas vice mayor's remains

Police investigators face a hurdle in the probe into the death of the late Dueñas, Iloilo Vice Mayor Aimee Paz Lamasan, after her family refused to allow an autopsy on her remains.

According to a 24 Oras Weekend report on Saturday, the family has also declined to comment on Lamasan’s death and on their decision to refuse the autopsy as of this writing.

As the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues its probe into the incident, the Iloilo City Police said Lamasan’s live-in partner, former Office of Civil Defense Region VIII director Lord Byron Torrecarion, has likewise refused to undergo a paraffin test.

Meanwhile, Lamasan’s wake remains closed to the media.

An earlier police report said that Lamasan died on January 1 after she was shot in the stomach while purportedly putting away a 9mm pistol inside her residence in La Paz, Iloilo City.

The Police Regional Office VI earlier ordered the creation of the SIT to focus on the case.—Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/MCG, GMA Integrated News