NBI rules out suicide in Chavez death

Initial investigation conducted by the medico-legal division of the National Bureau of Investigation ruled out suicide in the death of a 22-year old female military police officer in her quarters at Fort Bonifacio last Feb. 9.

According to Maximo Reyes, chief of the NBI’s medico-legal division, there were no signs that could point to the death of second Lt. Jessica Chavez, of the 191st Military Police Battalion, as suicide.

"There were no signs in the body that could lead us to believe that it was suicide," said Reyes. He said there were no signs to corroborate the findings of police probers that it was plain suicide. "If it was so, it was very awkward," he said.

Reyes said that based on their autopsy of Chavez’s body, there were no smudges or marks on the right external area of her chest which would have been there had she herself fired the shot that killed her.

He added that the bullet which killed Chavez was "fired from a distance," entering the victim’s chest and exiting through her back.

"If she planned to commit suicide, she could have shot herself in the mouth or in the head. Shooting herself in the chest to kill herself is very awkward," Reyes said. But he refused to comment if another person was beside Jessica prior to her death.

Jessica, a member of the PMA’s 2000 Sanghaya Class was found dead in her barracks in Fort Bonifacio, Makati, before dawn Friday last week.

Reyes said the autopsy report will be relayed to the victim’s relatives and to NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco who is out conducting field inspections of all NBI regional offices. – Mike Frialde