MANILA, Philippines - The right hand of the lady police official whose body was found slumped Thursday morning inside the Philippine National Police Crime laboratory in Camp Crame, Quezon City was tested positive for gunpowder nitrates, an official said.
Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor, spokesperson to the PNP chief, said on Friday that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the personnel of the crime laboratory found the gunpowder residue on the hand of Inspector Romelou Medina.
Mayor, however, pointed out that the PNP leadership has yet to rule the case as suicide as investigators are not finished with its probe.
"We cannot still conclude kung anong nangyari doon kasi meron pang kukuning mga statement sa kasamahan niya," Mayor said in a phone interview.
Mayor said investigators subjected all the 17 personnel of the crime lab who were on duty that day to ballistics test and were found negative of gunpowder residue.
He said the cellular phone of the victim has been turned over to the PNP's cybe-rcrime group for examination.
The bloodied body of Medina, 35, was discovered slumped on the floor by authorities inside the PNP-Crime Lab around 7:30 a.m. last Thursday.
Medina, who was still in police uniform, bore a gunshot wound on the right temple.
Authorities also recovered from the scene her 9mm service pistol and an empty shell believed to be from Medina's gun.
Mayor said Medina used to work for the PNP Crime Lab in Camp Crame finance section.
She then transferred to the Manila Police District crime laboratory and was on on-the-job training when the shooting happened, Mayor said.