Police seek paraffin test on Iloilo vice mayor’s partner as investigation into her fatal gunshot continues. Photo courtesy of Dueñas LGU/Facebook.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Iloilo Vice Mayor Aimee Paz Lamasan, including whether it resulted from an accidental firearm discharge.
Iloilo City Police Office director Police Colonel Kim Legada said investigators have yet to confirm if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted by accident.
“We are still gathering evidence and facts to determine what really transpired—whether it was an accident or otherwise,” Legada told the Inquirer.
Police requested Lamasan’s live-in partner, Lord Byron Torrecarion, to undergo a paraffin test, pending his consent, after he reported that she accidentally fired the weapon.
The firearm has been turned over to the Philippine National Police Regional Forensics Unit-6 for examination.
Initial reports said Lamasan, 49, was handling her gun at her home in Puerto Real subdivision in La Paz district around 7 a.m. on December 30 when it discharged, hitting her in the abdomen; she died at St. Paul’s Hospital on December 31 after surgery.
ICPO spokesperson Police Major Shella Sangrines said the investigation is treating the accidental discharge as the primary scenario but remains open to other possibilities if evidence warrants further inquiry.