11 Toboso clash fatalities test positive for gunpowder – PNP

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Eleven of 19 people killed in a series of encounters in Toboso, Negros Occidental last month have tested positive for gunpowder, according to the Philippine National Police.

The PNP said the findings support claims by the Armed Forces of the Philippines that what transpired in Barangay Salamanca on  April 19 was a legitimate firefight.

At a press briefing, Col. Reynaldo Calaoa, chief of the Negros Island Region police forensics unit, said the positive paraffin test result is proof that the fatalities had fired weapons.

Calaoa declined to identify those who tested positive for gunpowder, saying the investigation has yet to be completed.

Militant organizations including Karapatan have condemned the incident, saying it was a “rubout” or “massacre” of civilians rather than a legitimate firefight.

Calaoa said that bullet shells recovered from eight encounter sites proved the military’s account that a running gunbattle occurred.

He clarified that a negative gunpowder test result does not automatically mean that a person did not fire a weapon as several factors can lead to a false negative result including exposure of the bodies to water.

Calaoa said that one of the clashes occurred in or near a fish pond.

He said water could wash away traces of gunpowder.

The way a firearm was handled can affect the amount of gunpowder residue in the hands of the shooter, Calaoa said.