Cop seek to determine who fired Casiban’s gun

CEBU, Philippines - Investigators looking into the death of a police officer, who reportedly implicated two retired police generals in the illegal drug trade, have found evidence that the policeman’s 9mm Glock pistol had been fired because of the gun powder residue and the empty shell recovered from the area where the body was found.

The members of the Special Investigation Task Group, however, could not determine yet whether it was the same gun that killed Police Officer 2 Ryan Casiban, who was found with bullet hole through his head.

Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas, Police Regional Office-7 deputy director for operations, said that they are still gathering evidence to prove that the gun found near Casiban’s body was the same gun that killed him.

Investigators could not also determine whether Casiban fired the gun or somebody shot him using the gun.

Lawas explained that they could not perform a paraffin  test on Casiban because he was already in the advance state of decomposition when found near a private firing range in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City two days after he was reported missing.

Lawas said what was only established was that the 9mm pistol of Casiban was fired before he died because of the empty shell found near his body. Whether he committed suicide or was killed by another person, investigators have yet to conclude.

“We cannot speculate on that. There was no report or evidence that shows the firearm caused the gunshot wound of Casiban,” Lawas said.

Lawas said they are waiting for the report of the crime laboratory on the forensic examination conducted on Casiban’s cellular phone. Investigators are now trying to gather possible CCTV footages from the areas where Casiban possibly passed by after he left Cordova Police Station on August 10.

Police Superintendent Anthony Bagarinao, SITG commander, said the CCTV footages might help in the investigation to determine whether Casiban’s case was a suicide or a murder.

Casiban left the Cordova Police Station at 2 a.m. on August 10 on board a government-issued motorcycle bringing with him an M16 rifle.

The motorcycle and the rifle were abandoned in Barangay Babag II, Lapu-Lapu City. They were found by the residents of the area at 7:30 a.m. on that same day.

Casiban was then nowhere to be found until he was found dead in another barangay two days later.

Since his death was riddled with controversy, Malacañang ordered an in depth investigation because of his supposed entry in the blotter before he went missing.

Casiban reportedly wrote in the blotter the names of retired Chief Superintendent Vicente Loot, now mayor of Daanbantayan town, and retired Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo as alleged drug protectors.

The names of Loot and Garbo were previously mentioned by President Rodrigo Duterte as among the five police generals protecting drug syndicates. (FREEMAN)