The Philippine Army (PA) confirmed Tuesday night, July 26, that a caliber .45 pistol found in the possession of Chao Tiao Yumol, the gunman behind the deadly shooting incident at the Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) in Quezon City, originally belonged to an active soldier.
The firearm was owned by First Lt. Jeremy Aquino, an active Army personnel based in Mindanao.
Accordingly, Aquino lost his gun while he was deployed in Patikul, Sulu in 2019.
“His pistol was never found until today, that shocked him. His lost firearm was recovered from a suspect involved in the shooting incident at ADMU, Katipunan Ave., Quezon City,” said Col. Xerxes Trinidad, PA spokesperson.
The gun was confiscated from Yumol – a 38-year-old general practice physician who is originally from Lamitan City, Basilan – along with a 9mm pistol after he shot and killed three persons during a law school graduation rite inside the ADMU campus last July 24.
Police investigation showed that Yumol equipped the pistol with a silencer and used it in what appears to be a planned murder.
Those killed were identified as former Lamitan, Basilan Mayor Rose Furigay who was attending the graduation of her daughter; her executive assistant Victor George Capistrano; and campus security guard Jeneven Bandiala.
Police said that Yumol had a personal grudge with the family of Furigay, which originated from the closure of his clinic in Lamitan City due to alleged violations including the lack of permit to operate. On social media, Yumol was a rabid detractor of the Furigays, claiming that they were involved in illegal drug activities. The legal counsel of the Furigays denied this claim.
Colonel Trinidad said that the Army will cooperate with the investigation of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to determine how Yumol managed to acquire the lost pistol.
“The Army will also conduct its own investigation,” the Army spokesperson added, although it was not clear whether an administrative sanction is being prepared against 1Lt. Aquino for the lost pistol that ended up being used in a crime.