NBI forensics team flies to Sulu
A forensics team from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters in Manila flew Thursday afternoon, July 2, to Jolo, Sulu to conduct a crime scene investigation of the site where four Army intelligence officers were killed by policemen.
“Now we sent another forensic team to do crime scene investigation doon mismo sa Jolo kung ano nangyari (at the site where the incident took place in Jolo),” NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin said on Thursday.
Lavin said the forensic team from Manila will augment investigators of the NBI’s Western Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-WEMRO) which has been assigned to conduct the investigation.
The NBI spokesman said the forensics team will also submit to the NBI-WEMRO the results of the forensics examinations conducted on three out of the four Army intelligence officers who died.
“Concluded na yung autopsy of the cadavers (the autopsy of the cadavers have been concluded),” said Lavin who noted it was finished Tuesday night, June 30.
The spokesman recounted the forensic examination was conducted at the Ilagan Funeral Homes in Paco, Manila following their arrival on Tuesday, June 30, at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.
The remains which underwent forensic examination belonged to Maj. Arvin Indamog, Capt. Irwin Managuelod, and Sgt. Eric Velasco.
The other victim, Cpl. Abdal Asula, was buried in Sulu in accordance to Muslim tradition.
Citing results from the forensic examination, Lavin revealed one of the victims sustained eight gunshot wounds while the other two sustained around three gunshot wounds each.
“Basta ang gunshot wounds would range from three to eight (The gunshot wounds the victims sustained range from three to eight),” he noted.
On the other hand, Lavin declined to give any more details about the results of the forensic examination including presence of powder burns which would determine if any of the soldiers fired their firearms.
Amid conflicting reports of what actually took place, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have earlier agreed to have the NBI conduct an independent investigation over the incident.