Iloilo City police chief, station commander sacked for mishandling Lamasan probe
By Tara Yap
LEGADA and Lamasan
ILOILO CITY – The police chief and a station commander here have been removed from their posts over the alleged mishandling of the investigation on the death of Dueñas, Iloilo Vice Mayor Aimee Paz Lamasan.
Police Regional Office-6 chief Police Brig. Gen. Josefino Ligan announced that Police Col. Kim Legada has been replaced by Police Col. Roland Bulalacao as chief of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) on Friday, Jan. 9.
Police Capt. Jeffrey Delgado was removed as station commander of the ICPO La Paz Police Station.
They were relieved two days after Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police Lt. Gen. Jose Nartatez Jr. visited this city.
“They investigated 36 hours later. Hinintay na mamatay before they investigated (They waited for her to die before they investigated),” Remulla told the Iloilo Police and Defense Press Corps during a Jan. 7 press conference.
Ligan said that the PRO-6 will investigate the alleged mishandling of the case.
He said they will identify who gave the order not to call the Scene-of-the-Crime Operatives (SOCO) team after the incident.
Lamasan died on Dec. 31, the day after she allegedly shot herself with her personal firearm on Dec. 30.
The ICPO initially reported the incident as accidental firing.
Lamasan died the following day and the ICPO requested for an autopsy on her body.
A paraffin test was also requested on Lord Byron Torrecarion, who was the only person with the vice mayor during the incident.
Delgado said that investigators went to the hospital and the house where the incident occurred.
He said they were not allowed to talk to the victim at the hospital.
Delgado claimed that the crime scene was contaminated and that SOCO could not do much.
Delgado noted that the firearm of the vice mayor was already in the safety box and was turned over to the police by Torrecarion himself.
Legada and Delgado were detailed in Camp Delgado, PRO-6 headquarters.