BI: Shooting of employee was accidental

After two days of silence, an official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) finally spoke up yesterday and explained that the shooting inside the office of Commissioner Marcelino Libanan was only an accident.

BI Assistant Commissioner Rolando Sacramento said the victim, identified as Confidential Agent Judith Ann Narciso, only sustained a minor injury on her left toe. She was discharged yesterday morning from the Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH).

Based on an initial report submitted by Sacramento, it appeared that at around 7:45 p.m. last Thursday, Confidential Agent Anthony Roxan Arevalo was handing over a newly purchased .45 caliber pistol to his immediate superior, Antonio Rivera of the BI Legal Office, when the firearm allegedly accidentally fell to the ground and went off.

The bullet reportedly hit Narciso, who was immediately brought to a nearby hospital.

When asked if the BI will press any charges against Arevalo, Sacramento said, “Arevalo has no liability. It was an accident. Besides there is no complainant in the case.” The firearm was not confiscated.

Investigators from the Manila Police District (MPD) tried to enter the BI building to conduct an investigation, but they were reportedly barred from entering the premises.

Sacramento denied that they prevented the MPD from doing its job. “In fact, we even gave them a copy of the initial report. They came Friday morning and we just asked them to wait for our report and come back around lunch time. We also told them to visit Narciso at the hospital,” he said.

According to Ermita police station chief Superintendent Rogelio Rosales Jr., his investigators still have to conduct their own inquiry despite the BI official’s report.

“On Monday I will send a team of investigators to conduct our own probe. There are conflicting versions of the shooting incident and we want to arrive at the true facts,” he told The STAR.    

An initial police inquiry showed that a certain Judith Narciso was shot by one “Attorney Rivera,” an employee assigned at the Commissioner’s Office, at around 6:20 p.m. Thursday.

Narciso was reportedly confined at the Manila Doctors Hospital for an unspecified injury.

Rosales said he only received information about the shooting from a BI insider Friday morning, 14 hours after the incident.

He said hospital staff refused to entertain investigators, and the victim would not allow visitors except BI officials.

There was no record of the victim’s entry in the logbook of the hospital guard.

“If the injury was only at the left toe and considered superficial why was the victim still confined at the hospital?” Rosales asked.  – With Nestor Etolle