2 ex-PNP agents refuse to take paraffin tests

CEBU CITY — Two former confidential agents of the regional police, linked to last Sunday’s gunslaying of a businessman in Lapu-Lapu City, have refused to undergo paraffin tests.

Wilson Diabordo and Emerlito Reyes, prime suspects in the killing of trader Edwin Pavia, have invoked their constitutional right to self-incrimination.

Lapu-Lapu City police homicide chief Geoffrey Baguio said they could not compel the suspects to undergo paraffin tests for fear that they would violate their constitutional rights.

But the Commission on Human Rights said no constitutional right is violated when compelling suspects to undergo paraffin tests.

However, the significance of the paraffin tests will now be compelling, especially after the police crime laboratory found that the bullets and the guns confiscated from Reyes do not match.

Ballistic test results showed that the empty shells purportedly fired from a caliber .45 pistol do not match the caliber .45 pistol confiscated from Reyes.

Only the empty shells, bullet and metal jacket purportedly fired from a 9mm pistol matched with the firearm seized from Diabordo.

Pending further investigation, Baguio believes that the caliber .45 pistol used in the slaying might have been switched during the pursuit of the suspects. — Freeman News Service