Baleros says no foul play in cop’s death

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police Colonel Romeo Baleros, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), said there was no foul play in the case of a police officer who was found dead inside a police barracks in Escalante City on June 15, 2019.

In a press briefing at Nocppo headquarters here yesterday, Baleros said their in-depth investigation indicated that Patrolman Richard Villasis of Jamindan, Capiz, died of accidental gun discharge firing.

The investigator initially assumed that it was a case of suicide because nobody was there when it happened, Baleros said.

He was cleaning his gun with a towel when he probably forgot to unload the magazine from his service firearm, Baleros said.

“He forgot to follow the cardinal rule on gun cleaning, like always treat firearms as loaded. He failed to check the gun before cleaning it,” he added.

The officer on duty on June 15 heard a gunshot from afar but he did not notice anything suspicious when he checked the area.

Two hours later, Villasis was found dead inside his room, Baleros said.

Villasis succumbed to a lone gunshot wound on his chest.

Police recovered from the scene the victim’s .45 caliber pistol, a fired bullet, magazine, and five live ammunition of the same caliber.

Baleros said they already explained their findings to Villasis’s family, who earlier questioned his death.

Baleros said if there is someone involved behind his death, he will investigate it properly and thoroughly. However, he maintained that there was no second party involved in Villasis’s death.